“I have a busy life.”
He says nothing. Just stands there and waits. Totally infuriating.
“What?” I snip.
“Just waiting to see how many excuses you have at the ready.” A shit-eating grin tips the corners of his lips up and I’m not sure whether I want to kiss it or smack it off his face.
“Don’t you have a girl—”
“Excuse me!” Darcie’s annoying voice interrupts me. “You.” She points to Reed.
He turns in her direction and points his thumb at himself. “Is she really talking to me like that?”
“Yep. Have fun with her.” I pat his arm, ignoring the bulge of his hard bicep and race down the sidewalk to catch my train.
Look at that, Darcie’s going to do my dirty work because she’ll probably bother him so badly he won’t come back to St. Pats’ drop-off again. At least I can hope.
My phone rings just as I step onto the train. “Hello?”
“Victoria.” Darcie barks my name like she’s the head nun at a Catholic high school and I’m showing cleavage.
“How did you get this number?”
“I have my connections,” she says, and I already know from her tone that she’s about to ruin my day.
“What’s up, Darcie?” I try to hide the irritation from my voice, but I’m not sure I’m entirely successful.
“I just found you a partner to help with the carnival event.”
I blow out a breath and find a seat in the back of the train. “I don’t need a partner.”
“Well, he would only help out if it meant that he could work with you.”
A million swear words set off like a round of fireworks in my head.
“You’re kidding me?”
She laughs. “I wish I was.” I detect a bite of jealousy in her tone. “If I was single…anyway, he requested you and we so rarely get fathers or father figures so in this case, I have to let him have what he wants. And for some reason, that’s you.”
I watch the city skyline getting closer out the window. “Who is he to Henry?” I ask.
She laughs and then I hear chatter behind her. I wish I was in front of her, so I could shake her shoulders and get her to focus on me.
“Oh, you’ll find out.”
“Henry’s mom’s boyfriend?” I ask.
“Nope. Ask for yourself. Gotta go. Oh, and I’m sending him your phone number right now.”
Click.
The line dies. Mother fucking hell. Am I trapped in some Mean Girls reunion movie?
I haven’t even tucked my phone back into my purse before it dings with a text. I’d ignore it if I wasn’t worried that it could be my mom needing me.
Unknown: Hey, it’s Reed. The stunning guy you just reacquainted yourself with twenty minutes ago. How about a nightcap tonight to brainstorm ideas for the carnival?
I add his contact information into my phone, so I don’t mistakenly answer again.
Me: Don’t you have a son to watch at night?
Reed: Nope.
Me: I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate your invite. We can talk details over a morning coffee and that’s it.
Reed: ???
Reed: Not even dinner?
I don’t respond.
Reed: Lunch? Even business associates have lunch together.
I shake my head and try to tamp down my temper.
Reed: Fine. But mornings are hard for me.
I’m being difficult for the sake of being difficult now. I can’t very well ask Hannah to come in late to plan some stupid carnival booth anyway.
Me: Saturday?
Reed: My place.
The three dots appear but I respond before he can.
Me: McDonald’s on Peterson. The kids can play, and we’ll talk. Noon.
Reed: You run a hard bargain and I make a lot of deals.
What the hell does that mean?
Reed: I take it that’s the end of our conversation?
I don’t reply because there’s nothing else to say.
Reed: Message received. Have a great day, Victoria.
I tuck my phone back into my purse with a giddy feeling inside. Damn it. I wish my stomach would get the message my brain is trying to send it.
Chapter Five
“So, you and the steak are meeting at Micky D’s?” Chelsea asks. “Kinky. You going to make out in the tunnel slide?” Chelsea takes a bite of her turkey sandwich.
We’re at a deli on the main floor of the building we work in. The Sandwich Place is our go-to for lunch if we’re all in the office. It’s owned by an Italian family who, get this, have one son who’s a police officer, one who’s a paramedic and one who’s a firefighter. I haven’t met them, but Chelsea knows them—the girl knows everyone, I swear—and if the rumors are true, I may have to fake faint in front of them for some mouth to mouth action.
“Steak?” Hannah asks, the spoon from her soup hovering right in front of her matte red lipsticked lips.
“Yeah. Vic is the Doberman drooling over the steak,” Chelsea says as if that explains things.
“I’m missing something.” Hannah takes a graceful sip of her soup.
I’d love to set a meatball grinder with extra sauce and provolone in front of Hannah and see how delicately she can eat it.
“Let’s take a poll,” Chelsea says, setting her sandwich down. “Hannah, would you date the best man from your wedding?”
Hannah chokes, soup dribbling down her chin. I guess I don’t need to do the meatball grinder experiment. I grab a napkin from the black holder in the middle of the table and pass it to her. She dabs at her chin, leaning over the table so she doesn’t stain her dress. I’d be worried too. It probably costs more than Jade’s tuition for the year at St. Pats.
“No.”
“See.” I shoot Chelsea an I-told-you-so look.
“Why not?” she asks.
“For one, the best man at my wedding was my brother.”
“That’s completely different. The steak isn’t related to her or her ex.” Chelsea leans back like she just gave the best closing argument, and everyone is having an ah-ha moment.
“Okay, who is the steak? Is this some riddle?” Hannah’s confused, and she looks at me to clear things up.
“The steak is my ex’s friend who stood up as his best man at our wedding. The steak is the guy who I ran into at Jade’s school last week. The steak manipulated the system, so we’d have to work on a carnival booth together at the school fundraiser.” I sip my soda once I’m done.
“The steak wants you to eat him.” Hannah grins.
“Exactly,” Chelsea says.
“No. The steak probably heard some bullshit from Pete about me in bed.”
“So, I’m right. I totally pegged you for the kinky kind.” Both Hannah and my heads whip in Chelsea’s direction. She holds up her hands, laughing. “Well?”