“And though she be but little, she is fierce,” she says, quoting Helena from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, still smiling as she rises from her seat. It’s her favorite line from Shakespeare, and she says it often since she’s tiny, standing at only five foot two inches.
She looks at her phone, scrolling through it. “Dammit, he still hasn’t responded. Maybe the service is bad here… I’m going out back to see if it makes a difference. Don’t you two get into any trouble while I’m gone.” She throws us both a warning look, pointing at us, and then pushes in her chair.
“We’ll try not to,” Max says as she walks away.
“She still hasn’t heard back from Jordan?” I ask.
Max shrugs. “I don’t know. She hasn’t talked too much about him. But I guess he hasn’t called her back.”
Of course not. Piece of shit. I swear one of these days I’m going to wring his fucking neck and hang him from his nuts.
Max drains the remnants of his beer. “Anyway, you wanna tell me what that’s all about?” He motions up with his chin, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.
I furrow my brows. “What?”
“Over there… Trouble. You know, the pretty little thing you’ve been ogling since she walked in here. She looks like trouble.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t been ogling anyone,” I say a bit defensively.
Max chuckles. “Yeah right, Enz. I’m not blind. I’ve seen her, and I’ve seen you staring. It’s not a bad thing, bro.”
“I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lie.
He’s not buying it. “Uh-huh. Well, whatever. You wanna play that game, fine. But check her out. To the left, white top, fucking amazing lips, and pretty brown eyes. She’s sitting in between two chicks who could pass for her sisters or cousins or something.”
Yeah, he knows I’ve been checking her out, but I need to pretend like I haven’t seen her until now. I look over at where he mentioned.
“Oh, her,” I respond.
He chuckles. “Oh, her? You’re hilarious.”
I turn my glance back toward him and shrug like it’s nothing. “Okay, she’s nice looking. What’s your point?” I take the final sip of my beer.
He shakes his head with a smirk. “Nice looking. My point is that you’re a man, and every man has needs. It’s been a long time since… well, you know. It’s okay to see other women you’re attracted to and possibly talk to them. It’s not a crime, and it’s not wrong.”
I chuckle, but it’s void of humor. My anger is starting to flare, and I don’t like where his words are going. The last thing I want is to get into an argument with my brother. “You’re crazy, Max.”
“I’m not. You probably feel guilty about it, but Enz, it’s fine, and you have no reason to feel like that. It would be a totally different thing if Sylvs were still here and you were having thoughts or feelings about another woman, but—”
“That’s enough!” I say, slamming my fist onto the table, just in time for Marianna to walk back, horrified and witnessing my anger firsthand.
“What’s going on here?” She pulls out her chair.
“Don’t bother taking a seat. It’s time to leave,” I snarl.
“What? Dude, we just got here twenty minutes ago,” Max says.
I glare at him. Smoke has got to be visibly coming out of my ears.
I take a breath and try to compose myself.
“Fine, you guys stay. I’m out of here.” I rise from my seat and walk away without saying another word. Good thing I met them here and had come in my own car.
“Lorenzo!” I hear Marianna call out to me, but I don’t bother answering her or turning around.
As I walk toward the door, I glance over at the mystery woman who caused this whole commotion. It’s her fault this shit started in the first place.
Our eyes lock for the first time.
I quickly pull my stare away and walk out the door. I need to go home and forget this night. What a disaster. Thanks a lot, Luscious Lips.
Chapter Five
Carissa
“Wow. Someone is definitely not getting any tonight,” Emy states and Shannon chuckles.
“What?” I ask, turning my gaze from the door to look at them.
I was watching a guy as he stormed out of the building. He was intimidating. I’ve never seen a guy up close that massive before. Plus, he didn’t even look all that friendly. He looked downright scary. I wonder what had gotten him so upset.
The woman three tables over called out to him. Lorenzo, she called, but he didn’t stop. I wonder if she’s his wife. Something she did upset him because he didn’t even acknowledge her.
When our eyes met, it was as if he were looking right into my soul. It sent goose bumps down my spine.
“I’m just saying, that lady must have really pissed that guy off for him to walk out of here the way he did, without even looking back at her,” Emy says.
“Yeah, but he sure did give you a captivating stare,” Shannon says, turning to face me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
The girls turn to face one another and smirk.
“Girl, please. Don’t even lie and say you didn’t notice because you totally stared back at him. And I can’t even blame you. He was gorgeous,” Emy states, then takes a sip from her cup.
Dammit, they noticed.
Shannon nods, looking at Emy. “He was really gorgeous.”
“And I think his anger added to his hotness… Like, can you imagine the damage he would do to a girl being that full of rage? Just lying underneath him? Oh my God… I would love to find out,” Emy says.
I roll my eyes. “You two are insane.”
Shannon pushes her hair out of her eyes. “Carissa, I’m sorry, but Em is right… He looks like he could literally destroy somebody, and I would love to be on the receiving end as well, just saying.” She holds up her hands defensively and says, “If I were single, of course.”
I roll my eyes again.
Emy places a hand underneath her chin. “I’m really curious as to why I’ve never seen any of them before. This isn’t that big of a town.”
“Maybe they don’t get out much,” Shannon states.
“Then macho man who just left would be perfect for Carissa.” Emy smiles at me, her dark hair glimmering in the low lighting above our heads.
Shaking my head, I bite off a piece of candy cane and look back at the table where the furious man was sitting. The two other people, a man and a woman, who were sitting with him are still there, but now they’re bickering about something I can’t make out. The man looks a lot like him. He could pass for his brother. The woman on the other hand looks nothing like either one. It’s what makes me think she’s his wife or girlfriend. But if so, something still doesn’t add up.
“Cariss, are you ever going to pick up your drink and down it?” Shannon asks.
“Yeah, put the candy cane down and drink, woman!” Emy says.
I shrug. I’m not a big drinker. I don’t like the feeling I get afterward. “Maybe.”