Page 12 of Drive Me Wild (Owl Creek #2)
I sort of lied about my boots. The teenager did spill oil, and I stepped in it, but I didn’t need to change. I just wanted to see Zoe, and now I feel like an asshole.
Not only did she bump her head—again— because of me, but I know there could never be anything between us. Even so, I can’t seem to stay away from her, and it’s not fair to either one of us.
When I’m with Zoe, I feel like I can be real.
I can show her the parts of me that are hidden away from the rest of the world.
We don’t have years of history that I’m fighting against. And instead of expecting me to keep being the same slutty guy I’ve been for over a decade, I feel like she expects me to be who I want to be.
I passed my background check and got to help my dad with the robotics club.
It was a ton of fun working with the kids and helping them with the mechanics of their creations.
We’re going to get them all cleared with the shop teacher to learn welding so they can do more than using bolts and screws and soldering irons with the bodies of the robots.
I brought in the one I finished this week, and a kid named Ramond thought of a genius way to improve the structure of the feet to make them more stable when they walk. When I took his suggestion, Buzz just clapped me on the back. It’s his way of telling me I’m doing a good job.
And that is worth all the gold anyone ever found up in the hills surrounding Owl Creek.
It’s Saturday night, so I go to Fat Joe’s for a beer. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out, but my buddy Josh from Port Stratton just bought a junker he wants help fixing up. After loading the car up on his trailer, we headed to the bar to talk about it.
The place is packed, but we miraculously find a booth in the corner with a great view of the rest of the bar.
Even though this used to be my hunting grounds, I feel like a stranger tonight.
I don’t recognize the new bartender working with Joe, and I’m not figuring out which woman giving me the eye is the lucky lady for the night.
And then Zoe walks in.
She’s dressed in a little black dress that hugs her small frame, with a jean jacket and engineer boots.
I feel a growl form in my throat when I see every single guy in this joint turn his head in appreciation.
I watch her look around for a table, and I’m about to invite her to sit with us just to keep all the other bastards away from her, but then Avery, Renée, and Serena trail in behind her, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
At least she’ll have her posse to keep her safe.
A table across the room opens up, so they slide in. Then Renée hops up and orders the first round. Before she’s back at the table, I see a guy I don’t recognize slink over and feel my fists ball up.
“Hey man, you okay?”
My buddy Josh is looking at me with a grin spread across his face.
“Yeah, I just don’t like the look of that guy.”
He turns to see who I’m looking at.
“So, which one is your girl?”
“None of them. The tall blonde at the bar is my brother’s lady.”
“Uh-huh. Looks like she can handle herself, and he’s not talking to her anyway. So, which one of the three at the table is your girl?”
I shake my head and take a pull of my beer. “Let’s talk about that hunk of junk you want to turn into a race car.”
“Sure thing, but first, I’m going to get a phone number.” He starts to stand.
“Sit your ass down.”
Josh laughs while he shakes his head at me.
“Not going to tell me? That’s cool. I just broke up with my girlfriend anyway.
Don’t wanna get into another relationship.
But from the looks of things, I’d say you better make up your mind about her before someone else does.
” He turns to look again at the table where Zoe is.
“They’re all smoking hot and not going to stay single long from the looks of things. ”
I grunt and take another pull from my beer. I catch Zoe’s eye, and she smiles. Then, she looks away and laughs at something Avery said.
But instead of focusing on the car we just picked up, I keep thinking that I wish I was the one making her laugh.