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Before heading over to say hi, though, I turned back to check on Oaklynn and make sure she seemed okay with the side trip. When her gaze brightened with interest, my stomach only burned hotter.
Because why the hell would she want to be here with me after meetingParker? He was the witty one who could always come back with some kind of clever comment. The rich one. The confident one. Probably better-looking than me, too.
Girls hadalwaysflocked to Parker, thinking they could fix him.
I really didn’t want to introduce her to a better prospect.
Plus, nowallthe guys were going to learn I’d gone out with the girl they thought was my crazy, scheming tenant. And I was not in the mood for their razzing.
But Oaklynn had already started in that direction, so I hissed out my reluctance and went as well.
“Hey,” he greeted, settling for a wave when he noticed how full my hands were. “What the hell areyoudoing out and about in public when you don’t have to be?” But even as he asked, his speculative gaze slid toward Oaklynn, and more questions filled his eyes, the biggest being,who is THIS?
“Taco Tuesday,” I answered the obvious, only to tip my head in her direction. “This is Oaklynn.”
“Howdy,” he greeted her with another bob of the head. “Parker. It’s nice to…wait. Did you say Oaklynn?” His gaze flashed back to me. “Isn’t Oaklynn the name of the chick who…?”
“Yes,” was all I could think to answer when he didn’t even bother to finish asking the question.
All the while, Oaklynn glanced between us in open curiosity.
Parker’s eyebrows spiked with surprise. “No shit?” he murmured before shifting his gaze to her once more for a thorough inspection before he asked, “How’s the brownstone treating you?”
The question jolted her. She glanced at me first, clearly wondering how this stranger knew what place she’d just moved into, and then she turned back to Parker. “Uh, it’s great actually. I still can’t believe I was able to snatch it up before anyone else did.”
“Yeah…” His eyebrows lifted as if he didn’t buy that answer at all. “Lucky you.” Then he watched her with untrusting eyes as he reached into the inner pocket of the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a silver flask.
As he took a drink, still staring intently at Oaklynn, I drilled him with my own glare, trying to get him to stop. But the person next to him that I’d completely forgotten about shifted up against him so I could see her face as she pointed at me and said, “You’re…Damien, right?”
“Uh…yeah.” I pulled back briefly, about as startled to see Parker here with a lady as he’d been to see me with one. Then I squinted at her face, trying to place her because I had no idea whatsoeverwhoshe was.
“Last week…” Parker spoke up, trying to jog my memory as he tucked the flask away and waved a hand. “Guy’s night... Rizzo’s…”
“Oh!” I blurted, finally remembering who she was: one of the three girls who’d wanted to take a picture with Foster. This must’ve been the one Parker had hooked up with.
“Yeah…hi,” I told her vaguely. “Again.” Only to send Parker a pointed glance.
And from that one look, we had an entire conversation.
Me:Seriously, you’re still with her?
Parker was not at all the type to give a woman a second night.
And his rueful shrug answered,What? I was bored. Shut up. Besides, I’m not the one here taking out my crazy, lying fraud of a tenant.
To which my return scowl growled out a defensive,Shove it, asshole.
“Well, we better get all this food to a table,” I said aloud, glancing at Oaklynn to make sure she was okay with that idea.
She nodded uncertainly and then sent Parker a tense smile. “It was nice to meet you…both.” Her gaze strayed a little more questioningly to the girl she hadn’t been introduced to at all.
The girl smiled back cheerfully, clearly oblivious to all the underlying awkwardness. “Yeah. You too.”
And next to her, Parker lifted his chin. “Yep,” he agreed. “Later, Dimples.”
When he shot me an amused, knowing glance that seemed to say,I should’ve known she’d have dimples, I purposely ignored him and guided Oaklynn the rest of the way to the table.
After we’d gotten our drinks and settled in for the meal, sitting across from each other, she pointedly asked, “Did you not like that guy or something?” as she picked up her first taco.
