Page 12

Harlee

Why in the world did I agree to this?

Again, why in the ever-loving hell did I agree to this?

Freaking mom.

That’s why.

Said she saw the way Victor Jessup kept eyeing me when I worked at the diner and said that he was a sweet boy.

Sweet boy my ass.

I had just sighed as he eyed another waitress who walked past our table.

Thankfully, my phone chose that moment to vibrate with a text.

Normally, I wouldn’t dare touch my phone if I were out somewhere.

However, I needed a distraction to stop me from going all Xena Warrior Princess on this guy’s ass and giving him a piece of my mind.

Sin – What are you doing?

I felt the breath in my lungs catch when I looked down at my phone and checked the time. Here I was hoping that half an hour had just passed, but really, it had only been a few minutes.

But that thought quickly flew out of my head, as my fingers rushed to see what he had sent.

I wasn’t even going to snicker at the name I dubbed him in my phone.

Because that way, when Talia looked in my phone, she wouldn’t see the messages.

There was nothing wrong with them, but still.

Oh, and the nickname of Sin... he was hotter than sin.

Me – Sitting across from my date.

Me – How many times can someone talk about the different uses of peanut butter?

Sin – Don’t get me wrong, I fucking love peanut butter. But... uhhh... what?

Me – Too long to text it all.

And then as soon as I sent him that text, my phone vibrated in my hand.

Before I could look down at it, I heard a flirty giggle, which caused my eyes to glance up.

Just to see our waitress, who had been awesome, smile down at my date, and for my date to smile up at her.

Shaking my head, I read what he said.

Sin – Who’s the date with?

Me – Victor Jessup. Mom begged me to accept a date from him. Said she saw how he looked at me. Said he was a sweet boy.

Me – He isn’t. He’s currently in the process of flirting with our waitress.

Me – Oh, and he’s checking out every single woman that walks by our table.

Sin – Where are you?

Me – Milagros.

Sin – I got you covered.

Me – What do you mean?

Silence.

Nothing.

No lighting screen.

No vibration, which could be a bad thing.

A very bad thing. Considering the man that I was texting is far out of my league and all I can think about is having those rough hands run up and down my body.

Harlee Belle Murray, stop it.

I chided myself.

“Umm, excuse me. Is your name Harlee?” At the sound of my name, my gaze jerked up to see a woman in her mid to late forties. Auburn hair pulled back in a classy knot at the nape of her head. White button-down and black slacks.

I shook my head and then mumbled, “Umm, yes.”

“Great. Your husband said that he hopes you got your wild oats sewn tonight. And you better wear that sexy red negligee to bed for him. Because his date was a bust, too. Apparently, she didn’t like it when he told her the reason he really agreed to dinner.”

I felt my cheeks flush scarlet red. And then I snickered. And then that snicker turned to an outrageous giggle, which turned to full-out laughter.

I was laughing so hard I found myself unable to breath, when she said, “Umm just to say, he sounds sexy as fuck. I’d be interested.”

My laughter tapered off, and then I winked at her and pulled up my contact.

His laughter greeted me after the first ring once he picked up.

I waited a beat, put the phone on speaker, and then he finally asked, “Now, how’d I know that this call was comin’?”

“Well, I promised the lovely woman that just delivered your message to me in a room full of people that I would find out if you wanted her to join us.”

His laughter died, instantly, “Well, shit.”

I smirked.

The woman instantly took in the vibe, the waitress that was standing close to my date, said date, who I also noticed had a faint tan line on an important ring finger, and the way he was looking at the waitress’s boobs.

Huh, didn’t know he was married. Knew my mother definitely didn’t know.

“He was calling to distract you and give you a better night from wherever he is, isn’t he?” the woman asked.

I smiled at her, huge, “More than likely, but honestly, if that man were my husband, no way in all that’s holy would I ever entertain the thought of spending even a nanosecond with another man.”

She smiled back down at me, “So, it’s like that?”

I nodded, then let something slip I hadn’t ever told a single soul about, “He’s so far out of my league it’s not even funny.”

And then... well.... it would seem that the three glasses of wine I had tonight, in the thirty minutes I had been here, had caught up to me.

Literally.

Because my little wine-lidded brain completely forgot that the phone had been on speaker, which was proven true when I heard, “Harlee Belle, I think you have it the other way around.”

My wine-lidded brain spoke for me before I could stop myself, my eyes were trained on my phone, when I asked, albeit breathily, “Which part?”

“The part about me being out of your league. Cause, Darling, where I’m sittin’ that title would go to me.”

I scowled, then, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He said,

“Yeah, it sounded like you said you weren’t good enough for me. And if that’s the case, then that’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. Even worse, when Billy Turner told the entire school in ninth grade that he had gone all the way with me.”

Carter was silent then.

And then I heard, in that low raspy tone of his, “He’s been cruisin’ for a bruisin’ for a while. Thanks for giving me the perfect ammunition I needed to go pay that fucker a visit when I get back.”

Then he said, “Okay, gotta get to a meeting, then I gotta get suited up.”

My brain wasn’t too wine lidded to say, “Okay, please be careful.”

“Always, Harlee Belle. Always.” And then the call ended.

The waitress who had come over winked down at me, and asked, “What does he do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I grinned, “You probably know him. It was Carter Griggs.”

She gasped, then she nodded, “Figures. Have a good night.”

I watched her walk away and then looked across the table at Victor.

Who was still talking to our waitress, and I grimaced when I saw her scribble something on a piece of paper and hand it to him.

I looked up at her then and asked, “Can you bring us the check? I think this date is over.”

Her eyes widened at that, and Victor looked shocked.

Seriously?

Just then, a shadow fell over our table. I looked up and then sighed when I saw Garrick. “He called you?”

Garrick shook his head. “Texted me. Wanted me to come pick you up, and to let you know that the moment he gets back into town, the two of you are going to have a conversation.”

I groaned then and promptly face-plant the table. It was even followed by the little thunk of my head meeting the wood.

“Talia is going to kill me,” I murmured, but was muffled by the table.

I heard Garrick snicker, okay, not muffled enough apparently, “Nah, seein’ as she’s waiting in the truck, and is more than likely about to come in here, drag you out, and sit on you until Carter gets home.”

My head jerked up, my gaze colliding with Garrick’s, when I asked, “What?”

“You heard me. She’s been wanting to get you with one of us ever since she met you. Honesty, she was starting to worry.”

I gasped, “Then why the hell did she encourage this date when I told her about it? Why in the hell does she act like she’s cool with Carter and I spending time together and then be bothered by it at other times?

Why the hell, when we go to the city to a few bars, has she tried to get me to talk to any of the guys? ”

Garrick smirked, “Honey, if you can’t see that she’s showing you different types of men that are so far unlike Carter, then you’re crazy.”

I paused then.

Because that was true.

And at that, I narrowed my eyes up at him, “And how would you know that?”

He rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks got slightly pink, “Well.... you see...”

I felt my eyes narrow into slits, then I pulled my phone back out and called Carter.

He answered on the second ring, “You with Garrick?”

I snapped, “Not yet. Why do I get the impression that you’ve mentioned me finding a man with Talia?”

“Because I’m not worthy of you, and you deserve better.” He said so low I almost missed it.

But I heard every single word.

And him thinking he wasn’t good enough was a bunch of bullshit, which was why I snapped, “Yeah, that conversation you wanted to have, don’t fucking bother with it.”

He chuckled, “Harlee Belle, let me...”

I growled wine wine-lidded brain for the epic embarrassment I’m about to have, “No. Damn you, Carter Alexander Griggs. No. I’ve been madly in love with you since I was seven years old.

Seven. Years. Old. And what? Y’all think it’s funny to cram men in my face as if to say, well, it’s clear Carter doesn’t want you because you aren’t good enough for him, so how about we show you the men that you are good enough for. ”

“Harls,” it was that pained tone that did me in from my best friend, who I didn’t know had come in.

I hung up, pulled my wallet out, and pulled some cash to pay for my meal, only for the waitress to say, “Oh, honey, your meal is covered.”

I narrowed my eyes and then snapped at the nice woman, who wasn’t so nice right now, because I understood what she was saying.

Carter had done that.

I threw the money on the table and said, “Nobody takes care of me. And especially not some man who I was stupid enough to put on a pedestal and would lay my body down on the line for, and his family thinks I’m not good enough for him.”

And with that, I walked out.

Ignoring Garrick.

Ignoring Talia.

Ignoring my vibrating phone.

I walked home.

Thankfully, I didn’t live too far from Milagros.

And in the morning, I would more than likely feel like shit for blowing up at him while he is working, because nothing needs to be in his head other than work, even more so when you are one hundred plus feet down in dark depths.

Talia

I looked at Garrick and then winced, “I feel like shit.”