Cameron’s lip curls. “Are you dating him?”
“No,” I’m quick to answer.
He nods sharply at me. “Good. He’s nothing but trouble. I don’t want him in my restaurant again. He’ll scare away our customers!”
Mel rubs Cameron’s back. “It’s okay. He’s by himself, just having lunch.”
“I don’t want criminals in my restaurant,” he says, then turns to me. “You should be more careful who you make friends with in this town.”
When Cameron leaves, I’m left wondering why he seems to dislike Axle so much. “Is he a criminal?” I ask Mel.
She shrugs. “Not that I know of.” Not quite the answer I was after. “He’s a good type of trouble,” she says, and winks. “And you need to take one for the team.”
I stare at her confused. “Huh... what team?”
She points at each of us in turn. “We’re a team. You’re friends with Axle, so you can introduce me to all the members of the club. I’ve wanted to for years.”
She’s rushing things. I’ve only just started talking to Axle, and I literally just met him, but yes, he certainly is trouble.
I roll my shoulders back, gather myself, go to the bar, and pour him a cola. I sneak a quick glance. Yep, he’s still staring at me. I gaze at him, shake my head, and deliver his drink. As I hand it to him, our fingers briefly touch, making me inhale sharply. Judging by the delight in his eyes, it was intentional.
He takes a sip, and then asks, “When does your shift finish?”
Him asking to see me outside of work makes my pulse quicken. “Why do you ask?”
“Why are you so defensive? I thought we were friends.”
Is that what we are? “You turned up at my work.”
“I told you I’d see you today,” he teases.
“I thought you were joking!”
He tuts. “You shouldn’t have assumed. Oh, I get it.”
I study him, puzzled. “Get what?”
“You realized I’m a biker and you’ve turned all judgmental, like you said you wouldn’t.”
I huff. “I’m not judgmental.”
He points to my face. “Your judgy eyes say different.”
“I don’t have judgy eyes,” I say, more loudly than needed. He’s really getting under my skin, and I’ve hardly spoken to him. I can’t deny I judged him, though, as soon as I was told who he was.
“Who told you? Was it the boss who wants to bang you or the chick who wants to bang me?”
I look around. “Shhh! Keep your voice down.” What he said irks me. “My boss does not want to bang me,” I whisper-yell.
Axle cackles. “Trust me, he does.”
I just shake my head. He’s impossible.
Mel arrives at the table. “Here you go, your seafood marinara.” She puts his plate in front of him, giving him a wink before she goes. She seems keen on him and the MC.
Axle digs his fork into the noodles. “I told you she wants to bang me,” he says with a smirk before taking a bite.
I think he’s right, which makes me wonder why Mel told me to talk to him. “She was the one who created the dating account. I wouldn’t have talked to you if it wasn’t for her.”
