But it doesn’t work. He just grins at me, then looks up at Barb. “Even when she’s mad, she’s gorgeous.”
“Very pretty,” Barb agrees with a nod of approval. “Considering you don’t bring girls around here ever, I can finally say you have most excellent taste. Not that I’m surprised.”
Wait a minute. He doesn’t bring girls around here? Ever? I don’t understand.
“Thanks, Barb. And I’ll have a beer. You know what I like.”
She smiles and with a promise to be right back, scoots off. I watch her go, turning over what she said again and again. He doesn’t bring girls to this restaurant, yet he’s a frequent visitor since he knows the waitress. And she knows what type of beer he likes.
What in the world is going on?
“I always come here for lunch, usually with Gabe or my cousin Tristan,” Shep explains, like he can read my mind. “Barb owns the restaurant with her husband Jim.”
“Oh.” I nod and reopen my menu, deciding I need to get the shrimp basket and just be done with it. So it’s fried shrimp with fries. So it’ll be packed with a bazillion calories. So what. I’ll make Kelli go running with me tomorrow morning to make up for my pig out.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” He sounds sincere. I don’t know why he’s acting like this. Being so…
Nice.
That night when he caught me signaling to Joel, he’d been such a jerk. I gave him reason to be angry, I won’t deny that, but he’d been so smug, so rude. I could handle him then. Last night and earlier this afternoon too.
But now? With him offering up compliments and behaving like a gentleman? He’s throwing me off.
“Um, it’s okay.” I lift my head but thankfully this time he’s not looking at me. Which allows me to blatantly check him out. His head is bent, his golden brown hair falling over his forehead, his eyes cast down and I see that even his eyelashes are tipped with gold. Everything about him is gold, gold, gold. He’s gorgeous and rich and the epitome of the perfect golden boy and what the hell is he doing here with me when I am the farthest thing from perfect or golden.
“I can feel you staring at me,” he says, his head still bent but I see the smile stretch across his face. Makes me want to throw my menu at him.
Okay, fine. Not really.
“I’m mad at you,” I tell him.
He lifts his head, the smile fading. “Why?”
“Because you embarrassed me.”
“I was only speaking the truth. You’re going to have to get used to people telling you that you’re beautiful,” he says.
Like that’s going to happen all the time. I am nothing special. “I don’t even know if I can take what you say seriously. Everything’s like a big joke to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You always look like you’re ready to burst out laughing. Your life is so easy. Nothing bothers you. It must be nice.”
His eyes flicker with some unrecognizable emotion. Could that have possibly been…hurt? Anger? “You have no idea what you’re talking about. My life is the farthest thing from easy.”
My mouth goes dry and I return my focus to the menu even though I already know what I want. I feel like a jerk. He’s been nothing but nice to me tonight and I’ve been nothing but a jerk to him. I’ve probably blown my chance at another date with Shep, even though that was already blown the moment I agreed to go out with him.
He must hate me.
Why’d I have to get all serious on her? I’m annoying the shit out of myself, let alone Jade.
But she doesn’t know who I am or what my life is like. I get tired of everyone thinking I have it easy. I don’t. Dad is an asshole, Mom medicates herself to function and my sisters got their asses out of the house as fast as they could. I have no plans on going back either. I chose this college for a reason—it’s on the complete opposite coast of where my parents live.
Barb shows up and takes our order, shrimp baskets for the both of us. The moment she leaves Jade blurts out, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—upset you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I wave a hand, dismissing my mood, her words, all of it. “I don’t want to talk about me. Let’s talk about you.”
Her expression goes from contrite to uneasy. “There’s not much to tell.”
“I barely know you. There’s plenty to tell. Where are you from?”
“A small town about two hours north of here.” She shrugs, drawing my attention to her chest. If I could will her to take off her sweater with my mind, I’d be working it hard right about now. “I lived there all my life. It’s very boring.”
“This town isn’t much better.” Santa Augustina isn’t awful but it’s a small, typical coastal college city.
“More exciting than where I grew up, trust me.” She flashes me a small smile, then turns it on Barb when she shows up to deliver our drinks. “I haven’t lived all over the world like some people sitting at this table,” she says pointedly after she takes a sip of her drink.
My gaze is now locked on her lips. Those fantasy-inducing, bee-stung lips that look damn good wrapped around a straw and would look even better wrapped around my…
“You have any brothers or sisters?” she asks, her sweet voice breaking through my dirty thoughts.
“Two older sisters,” I answer before I grab my beer and down half of it in a few swallows. I need to get my shit together and stop acting like a leering jackass. Considering Jade’s strung pretty tight, I don’t want to piss her off.