Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“No,” he agrees and glances away. “I can find you a different job.”
“I’m not working in one of your restaurants.”
“A different job working with horses.” He turns back, his face serious. “Grandpop’s going to be difficult to convince, and I’m still working on him, but we have time. We don’t have to rush anything. We can just—”
“We can just figure it out,” I say and let out a long breath. “Yeah, that’s okay, I guess.”
“You really must love the sex,” he says, grinning, and I kick him under the table.
The food comes and we fall into a comfortable banter. We stick to cleaner and safer topics as we eat, but it’s like Ford can’t help himself and he somehow managed to steer everything back to sex. I guess I know what he’s got on his mind. Not that I’m any different—I keep picturing all the different ways he can make me come with nothing but his tongue—and I feel like I’m dizzy and crazy with lust, like I’m drunk on it. The wine’s loosening me up and Ford’s smirks are driving me wild and I have to admit that I’m having a really nice time.
With Ford. With the guy I hated when this all started. With the guy I reluctantly called, and barely agreed to work with, and now we’re here and we’re doing… this. Talking like normal people. Laughing together.
Thinking about fucking when we get home.
And god, I want to get home so badly.
I laugh at something and turn halfway around in my chair to look for the waitress so I can ask for more wine and as my eyes scan the dining room, I suddenly freeze like someone’s holding a gun to my head.
Two people are being seated not far away.
Two people I know very well.
Sara Lynn and her husband, Kirk Wateridge, a stocky guy with graying hair and glasses.
She doesn’t see me at first. I turn around and my heart’s racing and I think I might be sick. “My cousin is here,” I hiss at Ford and he looks over my shoulder. “Don’t stare!”
“Too late for that,” he murmurs. “She spotted me.” He grins tightly and waves. “Hello, Sara Lynn, you selfish asshole. Ah, fuck, she’s coming over.”
“Oh, shit, shit, shit, fuck—” I turn around and Sara Lynn’s hovering behind me with a plastic smile glued to her face. “Hi, Sara Lynn, how are you, what are you doing here? It’s so nice—”
“Kat, can I have a word?” Her voice is high and shrill.
“Uh,” I say.
“Don’t stick around on my account,” Ford says with amusement in his voice. “Sara Lynn, it’s always such a pleasure to see you. Truly, you are such a shining light.”
“Oh, go fuck yourself, Ford. Come on, Kat.” She storms off toward the bathrooms.
“You really do need to antagonize her, don’t you?”
He shrugs and raises a glass to me as I hurry after my cousin.
I should just leave. Sara Lynn doesn’t have any power over me anymore. I haven’t officially cut ties with the family but I have thrown in with Ford which means I don’t need to be afraid of Sara Lynn bullying me, I don’t need to worry she’s going to poison me to Grandfather even more, I don’t need to be afraid of her anymore.
I don’t need to follow her like a puppy dog.
And yet that’s exactly what I’m doing because I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s conditioned into me at this point and even if I wanted to walk away and act like none of this is happening, I can’t seem to do anything but trail after my cousin like I’m under a spell.
It’s always been this way. Sara Lynn’s in charge and I can’t do anything but follow after and hope she doesn’t punch me in the nose for fun.
“What the hell are you thinking, Kit-Kat?” She whirls on me back near the bathrooms in a quiet nook where they used to have a payphone. Now there’s just an empty little cubicle thing hanging on the wall.
“I don’t know… I don’t know what you mean?”
“You’re sitting at La Mode with freaking Ford Arc and eating dinner and drinking wine like it’s no big deal, but god, Kit-Kat, it’s so freaking pathetic, even for you.”
“I’m… just having dinner.”
“I’m just having dinner.” She says it mockingly, her face screwed up. “Listen to yourself Kit-Kat. You’re a Stockton and he’s an Arc, and you’re sitting in there making eyes at him like the most pathetic girl in the entire world and I can’t believe you take yourself seriously. Do you really think that man gives a crap about you?”
“No,” I say quietly, not able to look at her. “I don’t.”
“Good. At least you’re not totally stupid. God, Kit-Kat, I knew you were low but this is just astounding, even for you. Have some dignity, you pathetic mess, and pay your check and leave before you cause a scene.”