“What?!”
“Tate…shh!” she warned as heads turned towards them. “He doesn’t want anyone to know, wants to make it on his own, but really, he’s not going to risk anything happening that could become public knowledge. The Turner name would get attached to bad press in a heartbeat, you know that. Other than that though, he’s twenty-five, graduated from college with degrees in architecture and engineering which makes him perfect to have his own construction company, he has his master’s in architecture, and you should see the office. It’s unbelievable.”
“You sound like you like him,” Tate said with a grin.
“Of course I like him, he’s the first guy I’ve met at work who didn’t take one look at my chest and lead with a dirty comment.”
“I mean youlikehim,” Tate argued. “Look, just be careful Mel, he’s eight years older than you, not four or is it three.”
“Four, I turned twenty-one today according to my work records and don’t worry Tate. I’m not about to go and fall in love with him. I know I’m only seventeen, barely seventeen at that, it’ll be fine.”
“I hope so Mel, I really do.”
“Stop worrying; if I thought there was a chance of us getting caught, I wouldn’t do it. Besides what’s he going to do if he does? Fire me?”
“Go to the police or the authorities at the least. You’ve changed your tune since Thursday Mel, why?”
“Maybe that’s because I needed to,” she said holding in a sigh of disgust at what Henry did.
“What aren’t you saying, Mel?”
“Henry tried something last night. He let his hand slip and groped my boob…stop,” she said when he acted like he was going to go find the man. “Just let it go okay?”
“Fine but if Jordan or any of the apes who work for him try anything, they’ll answer to me.”
That put a grin on her face, and she couldn’t control the laughter at the thought of her best friend, all five foot eleven inches, hundred and thirty pounds of him going after some huge muscled jerk who beats nails into a wall all day long.
“Shut up Mel,” he said knowing what she was thinking as he began to laugh along with her.
She laughed so much she didn’t notice when Brent slid into the booth beside her.
“What’s so funny?” he asked making her catch her breath.
“Nothing you’d get,” she answered sending a pleading look to Tate.
“Inside joke,” he agreed. “So Brent, what brings you to our side of the joint?”
Mel grinned as Brent’s eyebrows rose at the mention of the word joint. Between Tate’s bike, leather jacket and scruffy hair most people thought he was a drug user, but they were wrong.
“I was hoping to convince Melinda to go out with me. She said she’s too busy to but yet here you are.”
“Yes here she is,” Tate agreed. “Spending her birthday her favorite way, right Mel?”
She sent him her ‘I’ll get you’ look and answered, “The best. Can’t pass on old traditions, can we Tate?”
“Nope, certainly not ones that started when you were seven.”
“You’ve been coming here on your birthday for ten years?” Brent asked looking between them.
“We have,” she admitted looking back at Tate. “Do you remember when we were, I think eleven, you were so sick, but you insisted we come.”
“Twelve…because you ended up sick the next day,” he said with a nod.
“That’s right; you gave me that bug because you kissed me, but we were twelve going on thirteen.”
“You were thirteen, I was twelve. Guess that’s why I like older women now huh?”
“I’m sure,” she agreed with a huge smile as Brent sat watching the interaction.
