Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Great.” My pulse picks up its tempo as I force my attention from him, swinging away to check my other tables.
Fifteen minutes later, the girls have eaten half their meals and Asher has amazingly managed to plow through most of his entrees. It’s a relief when he catches my eye and makes the universal sign with his hand for the bill.
Yay! As soon as he walks out the door, I’ll finally be able to relax.
I give him a nod before grabbing his check. Usually, I write a little note of thanks, but I can’t bring myself to do that this time. I glance at their table again and watch as one of the girls nips at his lower lip while the other snuggles against the broad expanse of his chest.
Ugh.
What a chauvin—
An idea takes root as my pen flies over the paper before adding a few finishing touches. My shoulders shake with silent mirth as I lay the paper face down on the table before saying sweetly, “Thanks so much for coming in. I really hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Before he can reply, I take off, laughter bubbling up inside me. There’s no way I’ll be able to contain it for much longer.
And here I thought waiting on Asher would piss me off.
Turns out, he managed to put a smile on my face after all.
2
ASHER
My gaze stays pinned to the dark-haired waitress as she speed walks from our table like her ass is on fire. There was a barely suppressed smile simmering around the edges of her lips. Kind of like she had a secret.
Dare I say it’s the happiest she’s ever looked while staring at me?
The expression hit me like a punch to the gut.
All right…maybe it struck a little lower than that.
I’ve run into this girl two other times and each one has ended in fireworks. Honestly, I’m not sure what her problem is. It’s like there’s a giant stick wedged up her ass. Most females melt at the sight of me, tripping over themselves to catch my attention.
This one couldn’t be more different.
She’d rather avoid me like a communicable disease.
I dig through my wallet for a couple of bills as I grab the check and turn it over. All the food we ordered is listed along with the prices. Instead of double checking the items, my gaze is drawn to the bottom of the paper and the illustration of a pig with a bowtie around his neck. There’s a bubble above him that says ‘oink.’
My eyes narrow as I stare at the farm animal.
“OMG, that’s so cute,” Audrey giggles.
I glance at her with a raised brow. “You think so?”
She nods as Mallory chimes in, “It’s adorable.”
Yeah…I don’t think so. I know damn well this girl isn’t commenting on the amount of food I just plowed my way through.
Nope. She’s calling me a sexist pig. I’m not a total idiot. I saw the disgust swimming around in her dark depths every time she was forced to look at me. Hell, I felt it the first time I walked into the restaurant and saw her behind the hostess stand. For whatever reason, she took an instant dislike to me and now, every time we run into each other, her loathing only ratchets up in intensity, radiating off her like a living, breathing entity.
Hmmm.
What to do…
What to do…
Option one—I ignore the drawing and simply pay the bill before hustling these two females out of here.
Or…
I slip my arms from around the girls. “I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to take care of the bill.”
Mallory makes a few unhappy noises before sliding from the booth. Once I’m on my feet, she rises onto the tips of her toes and presses her lips against mine. Even though the softness of her mouth should be enough to recapture my distracted attention, it does nothing for me. My mind is too full of the snarky waitress with the slim body who scowls at me like she hates my damn guts.
“Hurry back,” she whispers, voice full of promise.
“Will do.”
And then I’m off, gaze coasting over the dining area, searching for taco girl.
I’m not going to lie, there’s enjoyment in watching her eyes flash with irritation every time the pet name rolls off my tongue. Or how color stains her cheeks as she grits her teeth, on the verge of bearing them at me like a rabid dog.
Her anger shouldn’t be a turn on, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t.
Is it perverse of me to get a kick out of her annoyance?
Probably.
But that doesn’t change the facts.
It takes a few seconds to locate her near the beverage center tucked around the corner as she fills a tray of glasses. I’m almost tempted to rub my hands together in anticipation as I carefully sneak up behind her. I might weigh over two hundred pounds, but I’m surprisingly light on my feet when I need to be.