"Will there be yelling?" she asked, eyeing Duke where he stood too still. I knew he'd be pacing back and forth any second.
I nodded. "Safe bet."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Ivory. What did you do?" I paused before answering, considering my words carefully. Perhaps there was a way to get through the coming storm without mentioning Matteo's name. Duke dropped his head to his chest, mumbling under his breath. "Why? Just why?" I knew he wasn't talking to me; his mumbles were always directed to himself.
I ignored them.
"I uh, just need advice. Best way to get out of a date."
"Just text him and say you changed your mind," Sadie answered, scowling at me like I'd lost my marbles. I'd canceled plenty of dates in the past.
"Well, I don't have his number, actually," I pointed out, wiggling my toes in my heels. The polish on one of my toes was chipped, and I immediately scowled at it.
"Please tell me you're kidding me," Duke hissed, and the telltale sound of his shoes thudding over my hardwood floors announced the pacing had begun. "Why exactly are you going on a date with a guy if you don't even have his number?"
"Well, I mean—" I paused with a sigh. There wasn't much to be done for avoiding his frustration. "I didn't exactly agree to go on the date at all." I drew out the first words of the statement, rushing the rest out in a mumble in a pathetic hope it could somehow be misinterpreted.
No such luck.
He froze, and Sadie turned wide eyes his way. As irritating as his pacing might have been, we both knew it was terrible when he was still. "Excuse me?" That voice was a deadly whisper, and while my friend was volatile and emotional, quiet was something he rarely ever achieved. When he was silent, it was just bad.
"Honey—" Sadie tried to soothe him, sensing the shit show hovering just under the surface.
"Why is there a date in the first place if you didn't agree to it, Ivory?" he asked.
"He told me we were going out. Said he'd pick me up at seven," I whispered.
His eyes closed, and his voice remained a whisper for the next words. "You told him where you live?"
“No! Don’t be ridiculous," I protested.
"Then what is the problem?" Sadie asked. "He can't exactly pick you up if he doesn't know where you live." Her voice melted into a laugh, but Duke's face didn't change. He knew I wasn't quite so dramatic that I would risk his anger for no reason.
I winced, twisting my lips into what I knew was a very unattractive grimace. "I'm not so sure that's true in this case."
"What does that mean?" Duke's voice dropped further, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he strode over to stand in front of me.
I tilted my face up to look at him fully, giving him my best innocent expression to placate him. "I—well, he's probably capable of finding out where I live pretty easily," I admitted.
"Who?" Duke's voice trembled, and I knew he had a very good idea.
"Duke—" I started.
"Who is the fucking date with, Ivory?" he warned.
"Matteo," I whispered against my better judgment. Duke's body went taut, and he stared down at me in disbelief before storming through my living room and out my back door to the yard.
Okay, that seemed dramatic.
"Honey, where did you see Matteo?" Sadie's voice asked softly, and I didn't miss the way she stared after Duke. Like his pissy fit was more important than getting me out of the stupid date I didn’t want.
"The robbers at the bank, they recognized me somehow. Begged me to tell Matteo that they didn't hurt me. I wanted answers so I—"
She cut me off with a gasp. "Oh no, please tell me you didn't!" she shrieked, drawing Duke back into the house. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his normally neat blond hair all messy.
"Didn't what?" he asked, slowly. "What did you do, Ive?"
I steeled my shoulders. I didn't care if it had been stupid in hindsight, I wouldn't be treated as if I was a child incapable of making responsible decisions because I'd made one mistake. "I went to talk to him. I wanted to know why they would recognize me."
"Jesus Christ," Duke hissed. "What were you fucking thinking?!"
"I thought that I had a right to know!" I yelled back.
"You also had a right to just be grateful that they didn't shoot you in the face and leave it at that. If someone is connected to criminals, you do not go to their house and make demands!"
I stood, storming my way into the kitchen and grabbing a cutting board out of it.
I needed to cut something.
I figured a vegetable was probably better than Duke's pretty face.
"Well, I did. It's done," I sighed, pulling a cucumber from my fridge and tossing a container of Duke's favorite homemade hummus onto the island.
"Okay, okay," Sadie stood, giving Duke a wary glance as she stepped up and leaned onto the counter. "Don’t get dressed. Put on some sweatpants, throw your hair into a knot on your head, and look a mess. Matteo Bellandi does not take a woman on a date when she looks more prepared for a movie night at home."
"Okay, okay that works. I can do that," I sighed in relief. I grabbed the peeler from the island drawer, making quick work of the cucumber. I knew she was right. Matteo probably took his dates to high-class restaurants and made them think they had a future before dumping them on their ass when he was done with them.
"Pack a bag," Duke interrupted, taking a furious bite out of a cucumber as soon as I sliced it. "You're staying with me for a few days."
"I can't do that. I have to work. I have photos to take tomorrow. Your kitchen isn't my favorite for that," I argued, shaking my head and discounting it immediately. There was no way I would be forced out of my home.
"Then I'll bring you back and hang out with you while you work tomorrow." Once he'd made quick work of the cucumber, he put the cover back on the container of the hummus and shoved it in the fridge. I widened my eyes at the counter, before turning them his way when he snatched the knife out of my hand and brought it and the cutting board to the sink to wash.
Since when did he wash my dishes?
I shook my head, turning and leaning back on the island. "You only have one bed."
"We'll make it work," he shrugged, acting far too casual considering his outburst before.
I did not like the sound of that.
He shoved the cutting board and knife in the strainer, turning to Sadie. "You want to pack for her?" Sadie stifled a laugh, because even she knew this was uncharacteristic behavior for Duke. He wasn't pushy. He wasn't an asshole.
His hand hit the railing of the stairs, and his foot was on the first step when I called out to him. "I'm not going, Duke."
His eyes hardened as he turned his glare to me. "You are."
"No. I'm not letting him chase me out of my house just because he said he'd pick me up for a date." I omitted the other stuff he'd said about making a dinner out of me if I wasn't ready. That definitely wouldn't help the scenario at the moment. "Look, if he shows up. If anything escalates, you're close. I know to call you. Odds are, he won't even turn up. I can't imagine I'm worth the effort of tracking down my address. It's not like he's lacking for company." I knew I was placating Duke, but I hated the protectiveness he constantly showed over me with men. Like he was determined that every man who was interested in me was a douchebag, just because Matteo had been. He sighed, dropping his head to stare at the stairs.