Page 8

Waverly

S ATURDAY AFTERNOON, I was standing in my closet trying to figure out what to wear for my dinner date. I’m embarrassed to admit, I’d been standing here for twenty minutes and still hadn’t picked anything.

As I continued to ponder (panic), my phone pealed on my nightstand, so I made my way to it and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful.”

I bit my lip and smiled. “Hey, yourself.”

“You doin’ okay? You sound weird.”

I sighed. “Well, if you must know, I’ve been standing in my closet for about a year trying to figure out what to wear tonight.”

“A whole year, huh?”

“Pretty much.” I unplugged my phone and stepped back into my closet. “It would help to know where we’re going.”

“Katie and I’ll pick you up—”

“You’re picking me up? Wait. You and Katie are picking me up? I thought we were meeting somewhere?”

“What kind of man makes his date meet him?” Gio countered. “And I figured you’d feel more comfortable with Kate since you’ve met her.”

I nearly cried at this thoughtfulness. “And she’s okay with that?”

“Yeah, she’s totally okay with that.”

“God, you have nice friends.”

“I do. They’re the best.”

“Would you do that for them?”

“In a fuckin’ heartbeat,” he said immediately.

“How do you find friends like that?” I mused.

“You already have.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m keeping you, therefore, so are they.”

I chuckled. “That easy, huh?”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it easy, but you’ve got ’em if you need ’em.”

“Well, that’s really sweet, Gio.”

“Just speakin’ the truth, Fizzy.”

I let the warm fuzzies settle in my stomach before getting back to the subject at hand. “Okay, what should I wear, Gio? Give me some kind of hint. ”

“Classy casual. Jeans are good, but maybe not shorts.”

“It’s too cold for shorts,” I pointed out.

“You never know. You might be crazy.”

“You have no idea.” I laughed. “Okay, nice jeans. Got it.”

“Are you good?”

“In what regard?”

“You okay with me and Katie pickin’ you up?”

“Oh, right. Yes, I’m fine with that. I’ll text you my address.”

“That’d be great,” he said. “We’ll pick you up at six.”

“Perfect.”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Lookin’ forward to it, beautiful,” he said.

I blushed. “Me too, Gio.”

We rang off and I made my way to the bathroom to shave all the things.

* * *

At just before six, my doorbell rang and I checked my camera to see Katie standing on my stoop. I rushed to my door and pulled it open, and she smiled wide. “You look so cute.”

“Thank you. Is this okay?”

“It’s perfect. Gio’s going to lose his mind.”

I laughed. “Exactly what I was going for. Come in. I’ll just grab my purse.”

She stepped inside and closed the door. “Word of warning...”

“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good.”

She grinned even wider, if that was possible. “He’s being il grumpo el dente right now.”

“Grumpo el dente?”

“Yes. He’s brought me to my boiling point, and I’m perfectly done with his shit.”

I laughed. “What did he do?”

“He’s pissed at me because I wouldn’t let him come up.”

I rolled my eyes. “He can’t navigate stairs right now.”

“I know.” She threw her hands in the air. “But he’s all about treating a woman right and he’s got this whole chivalry thing going on, so I had to threaten cutting off his dick to get him to stay in the car.”

I let out a snort. “You didn’t. ”

“Sure did.”

“Remind me never to piss you off.”

She grinned. “Well, keep in mind, I’ve known him since he was twelve, and he’s like another brother to me, so he’s had a long time to bring me to the point of wanting to do bodily harm. I think he practices on his sisters. A lot. ”

“He mentioned that.” I grabbed my purse and keys, and after locking my door, we headed out.

As we walked downstairs, Katie in front of me, I heard her mutter, “Fucking hell,” and I looked up to find Gio leaning against a silver Toyota, his face twisted in pain, but trying desperately to school his features so he appeared casual and nonchalant .

Katie let out a frustrated groan as we made a mad dash for the car. “What the fuck, Gio ?”

“You were takin’ a while, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

She wrapped an arm around his waist and hissed, “I’m seriously going to cut off your dick.”

“You look gorgeous, Fizzy,” he said, and I smiled.

“Thanks. You look great, too.” I raised an eyebrow. “Although, this whole ensemble would look better without the strain on your face.”

“I’m fine,” he said, obviously lying through his teeth.

I threw my purse into the car and wrapped my arm around his waist from the other side, then Katie and I helped him back into the passenger seat. “I can sit in the back.”

“It’s easier to get you out of the front,” Katie countered.

“Waverly shouldn’t be made to sit in the back,” he argued.

“Waverly’s standing right here, and I’m fine to be chauffeured.” I grinned, reaching over him to secure his seatbelt.

“Jesus, you smell good.”

“Behave,” I bossed, grinning as I closed his door and moved to the back seat.

Katie pulled up to the restaurant, one of my favorites down by the waterfront, and while she pulled out the wheelchair, I unbuckled Gio and helped him slide to the edge of the seat.

“You ready?” I asked .

He nodded and I cupped his chin.

“Did you bring pain meds?”

“Yeah. Kate has them.”

I sighed. “You need to take them, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Katie rolled up with the chair and we helped him into it, and then she grabbed water from the side of her door and handed him some painkillers.

“We can do this another time,” I said.

“Like hell,” he hissed. “I’m fine, Fizzy. It’s all good.”

“What if you need to pee?” Katie asked.

“I can help him,” I said. “That’s no biggie.”

“Jesus, Kate,” he growled, then turned to me. “And you are not helping me piss. I’ll fuckin’ hold it.”

“Grumpo el dente, indeed,” I said.

“What does that mean?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Katie and I said in stereo then bust out laughing.

“Text me when you’re ready and I’ll pick you up,” Katie said.

“Thanks for everything,” I said, then wheeled Gio into the restaurant.

“Did you always want to be a mechanic?” I asked once our food arrived.

“That’s a loaded question,” Gio said. “My dad died when I was ten, and as much as my mom tried, I kind of went off the rails when I was about twelve. Enter Connor. I was in school with his son Flash and Connor took me under his wing. Anytime I wasn’t at school, I was at his shop learning how to work on cars and staying out of my mother’s hair and probably jail.”

I cocked my head. “You were that bad?”

“I could have been if it wasn’t for him.”

“Are you close with your mom and sisters?”

“Yeah. They drive me up a fuckin’ wall, but we’re close.”

“But not enough to stay with her while you rehab?”

He shook his head. “Her house has four million stairs, so Maisie suggested I come to theirs. And when Maisie suggests anything, it’s more of a command.”

I chuckled. “Oh, so the quiet, sweet, British thing is a ruse?”

“No, that’s all real, but you don’t argue with her. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“You mess with the queen and her man will fuck you up?”

He jabbed his fork toward me. “Nailed it.”

“Connor seems so chill, though.”

“He is unless you fuck with his family.”

“Well, that’s kind of sweet, really.”

He smirked. “Sure, we’ll go with sweet.”

“It was very kind of them to invite me to dinner and for Maisie to cook for me. They made me feel welcome, and that’s absolutely sweet.”

“You know, I noticed something last night at dinner.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“You called yourself the new girl, not the guest... that denotes you’re stickin’ around. ”

I blushed. “Well, I guess that just proves how comfortable I felt.”

“Nah, you’re stickin’ around,” he pressed. “I’m keepin’ ya.”

“You’ve thrown the whole professional thing out the window, haven’t you?”

“The second I met you.” He grinned. “Lean in, baby.”

“What am I going to do with you?”

“You’re going to enjoy the ride.”

“God, I hope so,” I rasped.

He grinned, taking a bite of his pasta.

* * *

Razor

After dropping Waverly home, and frustrated I couldn’t maneuver a way to kiss her with ‘mom’ hovering, Katie walked her to the door, and confirmed she got inside okay, then drove me back to Hatch and Maisie’s.

Brian was stationed outside her place again. Although, he was in a van this time and hanging out in the back. The van was equipped with external cameras, so if anything hinky went on outside, Brian would be alerted, but it gave him a little more anonymity and just looked like a car parked, rather than someone staking out the joint.

“Fuck, I gotta piss,” I grumbled as Hatch helped me out of her car.

“Did you seriously hold it this entire time?” Katie asked. “Why didn’t you just go at the restaurant? ”

“Because I wasn’t about to ask Waverly to take me. That’s way too much for a first date,” I snapped.

“I swear to christ, kid, you fuckin’ talk to her like that again, I’m gonna break your other leg,” Hatch growled.

“Sorry, Kate,” I said.

“You know what?” she bit out. “I’m over this. I’m over you being a dick and then apologizing for it. How about you try not to be a dick in the first place?”

She snagged her keys off the counter and stormed out of the house.

“Fuck! Maisie!” Hatch bellowed.

He got Maisie to grab Katie, then helped me to the bathroom, and I heard them talking in the family room, but their voices were too low to hear what they were saying.

Fuck, I’d messed up big time.

It wasn’t long before Hatch came in to help me again and his face was grim.

“Scale of one to ten, how pissed is she?” I asked as I washed my hands.

“She’s hurt,” he said.

“Jesus, that’s worse.”

“Yep.”

“Is she still here?”

“No. You’re gonna have to give her some time. She’s given of herself a whole hell of a lot, Razor, and this is how you treat her? Don’t think I have to drive home the fact that all of that’s a fuckin’ dick move.”

I sighed. “No, you really don’t. ”

He wheeled me to the family room, helping me into the recliner, then grabbed me a beer. Maisie had made herself scarce which really didn’t bode well for me, and I knew I had a lot of penance to do this coming week.

Jesus, I was an asshole.

I was on my second beer when the doorbell pealed, and Hatch frowned, pulling out his cell phone and checking the camera. “Well, fuck me in the ass.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You’ll see.” He rose to his feet and headed to the door, and I heard heavy footsteps on the hardwoods and craned my head to see my sergeant storm into the room.

Well, shit.

Billy ‘Flea’ Jameson was Katie’s twin brother and built like a brick shit house, and when his fist connected with my jaw, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

“Enough!” Hatch bellowed, pulling him off me before he could hit me again.

“You made my sister cry, asshole, you’re lucky I didn’t do more. If you weren’t already in that cast, I’d put you in one.”

I rubbed my jaw just as Maisie came rushing into the room. “What the devil is going on?”

“Sit down, brother,” Hatch said, shoving him into the chair on the opposite side of the room. When he looked like he might get up again, Hatch laid his hand on his shoulder. “Hit him again, and you’ll deal with me. ”

Flea let out a growl, but took a seat.

“You hit Razor?” Maisie squeaked.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Flea said. “He made Kate cry, and I couldn’t let it stand.”

Maisie turned to me and raised an eyebrow. “Well, I have to admit, darling, you deserved that.”

“Babe, you’re not helping,” Hatch said in exasperation.

She shrugged, pulling open the freezer and grabbing an icepack. “I’m just telling it like it is. Razor needs to get a handle on not only his anger, but his entitlement, and if getting a punch in the face helps him do it, so be it,” she said, walking over to me.

“Maisie,” Hatch admonished, but I could tell he was trying to hold back a smile.

“Which side, darling?” she asked me, and I pointed to my left.

She gently settled the icepack to my jaw and held it as she smiled sweetly, like she hadn’t just said she was happy I’d gotten my bell rung.

“Better?”

I nodded.

“Do you need some pain meds?” she asked.

“No, I’m okay,” I said, although, it came out more like, “Na, em, othay.”

“Can you hold it there by yourself, or do you need my help?”

“I can do it.”

“Right, love.” She turned to Flea. “Would you like a beer? Are you hungry? I can make you something”

“A beer would be great,” Flea said. “I’ve already eaten, so I’m good. Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Razor, would you like another beer?” she asked.

“Sure, Maisie, thanks.”

She went about grabbing them for us, then sat on the sofa next to Hatch, and both of them acted as though nothing had happened. The whole thing was weird, but exactly normal at the same time.

I slid the icepack off my jaw and nodded to Flea. “I’m gonna fix it with Kate. I promise.”

“That’s between the two of you,” he said. “But you make her cry again, and I swear to Christ, I’ll break your other leg.”

“Fair,” I said, and sat back in the chair.

He finished his beer and rose to his feet. “Okay, I need to get back to Grace and the kids. Thanks for the beer.”

Hatch walked him to the door and Maisie faced me. “You doing okay, darling?”

“I’m fine.”

“You know I love you like crazy, right?”

“I know, Maisie.”

“Are you going to work on some of this shit now?”

I sighed. “Yeah.”

“Good. I’m going to head to bed.” She stood, then leaned over to kiss my cheek gently. The one Flea had just annihilated. “You’re worthy to be loved, darling. Don’t ever forget that.”

With that parting shot, she threw the icepack back in the freezer, then left the room.