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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Emory

“Emory, nice to see you!” Brenda wiped her hands on her apron and approached the register where her son, Neal, was working. She hip-checked him out of the way without a word, and he happily took off for the back door. “You’re not ready to pay the bill already?”

“No. Marty texted me about running late, and I was hoping to add his order onto our ticket.” I waved toward the big round booth where Allison, Todd, and Sasha sat. “If that’s not too much problem?”

“No problem.” She searched through the tickets stuck over the grill and plucked ours from the row. “What would he like?”

“Hold on, let me pull up the order.”

I tugged out my phone to check the message from him. “Can you change our three burger combos into a burger bucket?”

“Sure can,” she said, grabbing a pen to adjust the order. “You want to add on a side? It says here you’ve got two fries and one order of rings.”

“Yeah. A large order of okra, oh, and an extra MoonShake for him, as well.”

“You got it, darlin’!” Brenda turned and put our ticket at the front of the line of tickets, “Get a move on! We’ve got a burger bucket!”

A new text came into my phone.

You left too quickly the other night.

I grinned, starting to tap out a reply. Before I could finish, a follow-up text popped in.

I didn’t even get to show you what you’re missing. Again.

Huh? If memory served, I’d seen exactly what Gray was working with, and I’d worshipped at his temple. I re-scanned the texts, wondering if I’d missed something.

Wait. Gray’s name wasn’t on these. I’d just assumed from the words…

512-0661 :

Let me show you what I mean.

A photo popped in, and I swiped the text closed, stomach lurching. Dallas. It had to be. Who else would try to send me a dick pic? I’d closed my messages fast, but not fast enough to avoid a glimpse of the phallic shape in the image.

“We’ll bring it over in just a minute. Your order is on the house, so don’t you worry about paying tonight.”

I blinked at Brenda, trying to reel my mind away from Dallas’s idea of…flirting? Was he flirting or just trying to make me uncomfortable? I didn’t even know. Either way, he didn’t seem like he wanted to take no for an answer.

“On the house? No, Brenda. We came here tonight to support Jerkers.”

She hesitated. “You’ve been so good about working with us?—”

“So let’s keep you in business, then,” I said.

“All right.” She smiled. “You’re really too sweet. I’ll send Neal out with your order.”

Marty joined me as I turned to head back to the table. “Sorry I’m late, man. My fucking car wouldn’t start. Had to jump it. Third time this week.”

“Sounds like you should get it looked at.”

“I know, but Woodie’s Pit Stop isn’t cheap.”

“So go out to Forrester’s,” I said. “They could use the business.”

“Are you kidding? Last time I tried out there, a drunk guy hung up on me. And that was after yelling at me because all I wanted was an oil change. Apparently, that wasn’t worth the effort.”

I cringed. “Ah, well, sounds like you got old man Forrester, but he’s dead now. His sons took over, and they’re doing a better job.”

“Maybe.” Marty groaned as we neared the booth. “I’m gonna puke if I have to watch Todd flirt with Sasha all night.”

They were sitting awfully close, whispering to each other while Allison tapped away at her phone, looking as if she’d rather be anywhere else.

“What happened at the bar the other night?” I asked.

“I plead the fifth on the grounds that it would only incriminate my masculinity to tell you.”

“Did you crash and burn, or did you bail out?”

He scoffed. “I’m not you!”

“What does that mean?”

He lowered his voice, slowing so our group wouldn’t hear us. “It means this stuff has always come easy to you. Girls. Women.” He shrugged. “I’m the nerdy sidekick. I don’t get the girl.”

“Not with that attitude you don’t.”

“Not with any attitude,” he grumbled.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a great job. You’re cute.”

“Cute,” he said, tone sour.

“Yes, and some women like that.”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay, this pep talk is depressing. Let’s just go to the table.”

“I’m just saying that you’re holding yourself back. Have some confidence. Todd is a douche. She’d be way better off with you.”

He nodded once. “Thanks, man. I don’t think she agrees, though.”

We arrived at the table in time to see Todd casually drape his arm around Sasha’s shoulder and lean in to murmur something in her ear that made her eyes light up.

Well, damn.

“Food should be out soon,” I said.

Allison scooted over, and I nudged Marty to slide in first, then I followed. If we kept a little space between us, maybe it would weaken the rumors we were a couple.

Neal arrived only a couple of minutes later, sliding two trays onto the table. “Burgers and shakes for everyone. You all know what sides you ordered.”

“Thanks, Neal.”

“Sure, whatever. Leave me a good tip.” He turned and walked off.

Todd glared. “Punk.”

Allison laughed. “Like you weren’t at that age?”

Or still , I thought silently.

Marty eyed the fried okra. “Is that mine?”

I grabbed it and handed it to him. “Yep. I got the order in right before you showed up.”

“You really are the best friend.”

“Yeah, now you appreciate me,” I said.

“Well, you give crappy advice, but great fried food.” He popped an okra into his mouth. “Mmm. Delish!”

“Ooh, I didn’t even think about ordering okra,” Sasha said. “It looks so good!”

“You want one?” Marty asked.

“Well, yeah!”

He held one up in his hand. “Okay, open up!”

Todd snickered. “That’s what I said last night.”

“Don’t be a perv!” She smacked his arm, then opened her mouth, waiting as Marty tossed an okra. It bounced off her face, and she laughed and picked it up to gobble it down. “Damn, that’s good. Let me try again.”

Marty tossed another and another. We all watched for a few minutes, and I couldn’t help but think that a woman who let Marty throw fried food at her face was definitely his kind of woman.

“Okay, we should probably get this update rolling,” I said. “I talked to Shayla about the bank sponsoring the reunion, so we can get started on putting down deposits on the venue and catering.”

Sasha dragged one of her fries through ketchup. “I got volunteers lined up for the float and made a list of our classmates for invites.”

She picked up her phone and called up the list. I thought she’d forward it to me, but she handed her whole phone across the table. “If you give me the green light, I’ll get the invites made. Can I charge them to the bank?”

“Yeah.” I took her phone and scanned the list. Our class wasn’t that large, but it wasn’t as if I knew every name by heart. I was going to have to trust her?—

Wait. Where was Gray?

“There’s someone missing,” I said.

“Katie Dunn died in a car accident two years ago,” Sasha said. She grimaced. “And Drew Evans got sick our senior year. He never even made it to college.”

“That was so sad,” Allison said. “I always liked Drew.”

“He was a sweetheart.”

“What about Gray?” I said.

Sasha blinked at me. “Gray…”

“Grayson Marsh?”

“He’s one of the foster kids, right?” Marty said next to me. “Out at Forrester Auto?”

“Right, Gray!” Allison jumped in. “He should be on the invite list for sure.”

“But he dropped out and disappeared, didn’t he?” Sasha said, forehead creasing with confusion. “I barely remember him even attending classes.”

“This is an inclusive event,” I snapped. “We don’t just leave someone off the list because they were a loner in high school?—”

“Easy, Emory,” Marty said. “That’s not what she meant.”

I clenched my jaw. Maybe she hadn’t said it in so many words, but we hadn’t done much to include him in high school. Not any of the foster kids. He and his brothers looked out for each other, and everyone else gave them a wide berth. They were just those weird kids on the edge of town.

The memory filled me with shame now. We should have tried to include them. They’d lost their families, for fuck’s sake, and we didn’t even offer them friendship.

“Gray’s back in town,” Allison was saying while I stewed. “He’s out at the auto shop if you need a mailing address. But Emory’s been working with the brothers on some banking business. He could probably hand-deliver an invitation.”

Everyone looked at me. I tried not to squirm. “Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

Sasha nodded. “Okay, thanks. I’m sorry, Emory. I really wasn’t trying to purposely leave him off the list. I just… I didn’t know where he was.”

I nodded. “That’s fair.”

I’d obviously overreacted. Gray was just such a big presence in my life now that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even seen him before. That none of us had really seen him.

I handed Sasha’s phone back and tried to listen as Todd launched into an explanation of his progress on the float for the parade.

Our plans were coming together. There was still more to do before the event this fall, but we’d made a good start.

My phone went off again as we finished off our food and called it a night. Once again, Todd, Sasha, and Marty were headed to the bar.

I checked my phone, gut twisting. It better not be Dallas again. I was sure the lewd texts had been him.

Thankfully, both of these had names attached.

Allison:

Can you go to the bar with Marty so Matteo and I can hang at your place?

Meh. I wasn’t really in the mood to kill time with the reunion gang, but I’d promised Allison she could use the apartment. So I tapped in a quick reply that I’d make myself scarce.

Then I opened the second text, the one that made my heart skip and my stomach flutter like it hadn’t since I was in high school and getting it on for the first time. Which had been with Allison.

Weird how the way we viewed people could change so much with time. Would I ever view Gray as nothing more than a friend? Judging by the pounding of my heart, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. There was a chemistry with Gray that I’d never had with anyone before. A raw desire that tended to consume me as soon as I was in his presence.

I didn’t know yet if it was merely the excitement of exploring my bi side or if it was all for Gray. I suspected it ran deeper than him being a man because one glance at the men in this diner convinced me that not a single one of them would affect me the same way.

Gray:

Finally wrapped up that bike work. Going out to Ball Breakers to celebrate with the bros. Come out for a beer?

I grinned down at my phone.

Marty nudged in, trying to get a look at my phone. “What’s got you all smiley? Do you have a new girlfriend?”

I clapped the phone to my chest. “Dude. Personal boundaries.”

He leaned away. “Sorry. But seriously? What’s so private?”

Todd snorted. “Maybe he’s sexting his secret lovah.”

“And who would that even be?” Sasha asked. “Allison is right here at the table. Though how romantic would it be if they were flirting via text while pretending to ignore each other?”

Allison lowered her phone. “I’m not texting Emory.”

“And I’m not texting Ally.” I rolled my eyes. “You all know we’re not together.”

Sasha sighed. “You guys are so weird. You’re like the perfect Hallmark couple. Everyone in town loves you both. No one will give a flying fuck who I date?—”

“I’d give one,” Marty said.

“As if anyone even wants to date a divorced mom,” Sasha said with a frown. “All I get are the guys who want in my pants and nothing else.”

“That’s not—” Marty started.

“Aw, Sasha, that sucks,” Todd butted in. “Let’s go grab a drink and forget our problems.”

“Well, I do have a babysitter for another couple of hours,” she said with a grin. “Might as well pretend I’m young and single for a while.”

“That’s the spirit!”

We all slid out of the booth, and Marty, Sasha, and Todd headed off for the bar down the block.

Allison paused. “You’re not going with them? What about?—”

I handed her the key to my apartment. “I got a better offer.”

“Ohhh.” She grinned. “Well, maybe both of us will get lucky tonight.”

“TMI, Ally. I don’t want to picture that.”

She laughed. “Well, I don’t mind picturing you and Gray.” She wiggled her brows.

I pulled open the door for her, giving Brenda a wave on the way out. “Don’t make it weird.”

“I’m borrowing your apartment for a hookup.” Allison started for her car. “It’s already weird.”

“And don’t forget to wash my sheets!” I called out to her, causing a couple entering the diner to give me an odd look. I recognized Rosa Montgomery from her clerk job at the pharmacy.

“Laundry, right? It never ends.”

“No kidding!” she said with a laugh.

I hurried on to my car and got in, shoving my phone into the cup holder. It vibrated with another text from Gray telling me he looked forward to seeing me.

But it reminded me of that earlier text from Dallas.

I picked up my phone and blocked that number. I nearly typed out a message telling him to fuck off, but engaging with him would only make it worse. I’d ignore him, and eventually, he’d get the message and go away, right?

I had better things to do than put up with Dallas’s shit.

Gray was waiting, and already, my body was heating with anticipation. I wasn’t about to let Dallas ruin that for me.