Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“Good job,” I said through another mouthful of delicious crispito.
The man lowered his sunglasses just enough and winked at me. “Thanks, Calamity.”
Calamity.
Why did I like that he’d given me a nickname so much? Also, why was it so hot how he continued to press the man into the hood of his wrecked car, biceps bulging, as he waited for backup to arrive.
“You need any help there?” I asked, not making a move toward them.
I could sneeze on them; they were that close.
“I’m good.” He checked me out then. “You okay?”
Was I?
I mean, my heartrate was currently at tachycardic levels, and I was fairly sure that I needed a new pair of panties… but health wise, I was definitely okay.
More than okay.
The man had brought me to life with just a grin.
“I’m good,” I said as I started to lick my fingers clean.
I couldn’t see his eyes because of the sunglasses, but I saw him tense, and it wasn’t because of the guy he was holding against the hood.
“Good,” he said with a small grin. “You might want to hop off of there, though. The streetlight looks like it’s barely hanging on.”
I got off the car with a glance up, and sure enough, the streetlamp looked like it was holding on by a thread.
I considered reaching for my Baja Blast but decided against it when a piece of glass tinkled as it fell.
I bit my lip and looked backward, wondering if I could make it, then decided I couldn’t.
There were just too many people behind us, all of them just as shocked as I was at what had just occurred.
“Leave the drink, Calamity,” he urged. “Take a seat over there on the sidewalk.”
I did as instructed, continuing to watch with avid fascination.
It was only as the barricades were being removed, and the cars were being towed away, that the hot cop left.
His car was towed.
He was picked up by another cruiser.
But his eyes hadn’t left me once since he’d left his new under arrest friend to be carted off by another couple of police officers.
And don’t think I missed the way everyone called him ‘boss.’
Or the way he filled out the seat of his cargo pants when he walked away.
You’re panicking at the wrong disco.
—Text from Ellodie to her mom
ELLODIE
Dinner out with Frederick—don’t ever call me Fred—was the last thing that I wanted to do.
Frederick and I had been dating going on three months now, and I knew that I needed to cut the strings on our relationship. Frederick was catching feelings, and I didn’t feel anything for him besides annoyance.
Yet, instead of calling and canceling, like I probably should have after the food I’d devoured, I decided to be a big girl and go out on the date. We already had plans.
Now, if I happened to break up with him while on that date… so be it.
I mean, I’d gotten more excitement out of watching a police officer yank a suspect out of his car than I did in the three months I’d been dating Frederick.
Yet, I got into my car and headed in the direction of the restaurant Frederick loved but I only tolerated when I was with him. I had to admit, when it’d first opened I’d loved the place. Frederick had ruined it for me, though.
When we arrived, I was annoyed to see him already standing there, waiting for me.
I hated that he saw me pull up, but only because I hated the way he always had a comment to make about my car.
“I see it still works,” he drawled.
I ignored him as I walked up to the front door and opened it myself.
He followed behind, close but not quite touching, and smiled at the hostess.
“Sandy,” he said jovially. “Do you have any seats in Dolly’s section?”
I nearly rolled my eyes all the way back into my head.
Dolly was a short, busty blonde who knew how to play the game of waitressing. She also knew how to get a great tip with very poor service, and that was by giving out compliments to men who desperately wanted to get her attention.
“Uh, no,” Sandy said as she glanced my way. “She’s off tonight.”
I thanked her with my eyes, and she walked us right to our seats that were luckily on the opposite side of where we usually sat.
Likely, Dolly was here.
Sandy had made my acquaintance in the bathroom a couple of months ago, and I’d told her how much I hated sitting in Dolly’s section because of how Dolly and Frederick acted.
From then on, if she was working, she’d make sure to seat us in the opposite part of the building.
If this restaurant didn’t give me hives every time that I came near it, for obvious reasons, I would eat here just because this girl was so sweet.
Like always, Frederick took the booth seat, and I was stuck with the hard chair. Yet another strike against him.