Page 83 of Dirty Hearts

“Okay, okay. I’ll… let you stew in your habitual cave and go talk waffles with the hot guy.” She knitted her brows together and walked away.

As soon as she did, the door opened, and my heart sank further into my stomach.

John came in with a bright smile.

Kelly glanced at me with her lips slightly parted before she got back to Donny.

“Ava.” John beamed when he approached me.

I really wasn’t in any mood to talk to him today. I was ready to blow and launch into some serious word vomit. Maybe actual vomit too.

We hadn’t spoken in weeks, and the last time we spoke, I turned him down for our date.

I guess in the space between then and now, he probably thought he still had a shot of sorts.

“Hey, John, how are you?” I turned on the nice.

“What? No hug?” He stretched out his arms.

I would have preferred to keep my distance, but it would have been rude to tell him no.

Moving from behind the counter, I gave him a quick hug, but he didn’t let me go.

“I thought I’d come by and try my luck for a lunch date.” His large brown eyes twinkled.

“I’m—”

God, I was going to tell him that I was seeing someone, but the someone I was seeing just opened the door.

Claudius pushed the door open and looked like he was ready to kill.

He rocked that avenging-angel look again in his dark clothes, and from here I could see the darkness fill his eyes when he looked at John with his arms still around me.

He inclined his head to the side, and a deep scowl creased his face.

John released me.

Claudius made his way over to us. People sitting around the tables nearby looked on, curiosity all over their faces because nothing unusual ever happened here.

John tensed when Claudius stopped in front of us.

Claudius was taller and bigger in built than John. John was more the guy-next-door type who looked every inch the goodly accountant he was.

I gave Claudius a hard look as he stared John down.

“Claudius, this is my friend John.” I thought I’d break the tension. Didn’t work though.

“Hi, I…” John attempted but held back when all Claudius did was continue his staring contest.

“You were just leaving,” Claudius finally spoke, to my embarrassment.

“Oh, um… well. Ava and I—”

Claudius interrupted him simply by intensifying his stare. Whatever John was going to say faded into the ether.

“John, I’m not available anymore. But thanks for coming to see me.” That came out a lot calmer than I felt.

“Okay, that’s cool. I’ll just go.” John pointed to the door.