Spider takes one look at the flowery cup with matching plate and backs away from my counter. “Oh, fuck no. Give me a coffee. Black. In a to-go cup.”
His tall friend cracks up, his boisterous laughter filling the empty space. I flash Tabitha my best what-the-hell look, but it does not faze her at all.
She simply lifts her shoulders in a shrug and says, “What? He didn’t say to go.” She turns around to make the coffee as I stand smiling like a moron. My stomach is tight and my eyes glance to the boarded up front window, preparing to make a dive for the floor again if someone else starts shooting. The last time someone associated with Dom was here it didn’t end well.
The bell dings and this time I’m absolutely sure I hate it. The stupid thing has to go. It’s like my own little mood music to trouble. The two bikers don’t turn see who walks in, but I’m sure the look of shock and horror on my face is enough to give them a clue when Bennett stops a few feet from them. Without a word he steps to the side and turns his body toward the two waiting bikers, observing the scene.
“Here you go, boys.” Tabitha passes over the large white Styrofoam container with an overly happy smile. She checks the nonexistent watch on her left wrist. “Good timing.”
Bennett crosses his arms, still not saying a word.
The two bikers don’t seem fazed even if my heart is about to give out.
In fact, the only person in this restaurant freaking out… is me.
That is until the door chimes again. “Of course,” Tabitha says standing with her hands on her hips. Apparently it’s not so funny to her when it’s her man staring her down.
Spider and his friend turn and walk out but not before a quick promise they’d see us tomorrow.
No one moves until the door comes to a complete close. When it does Bennett steps forward. “No,” he says, his arms still crossed.
“What? They’re paying customers.”
“They eat at Buddy’s. My girl doesn’t serve any man who answers to Spider.”
I roll my eyes. Who sounds like the alpha macho man now? “I serve people who pay,” I cross my own arms over my chest so my stance matches everyone else’s. When in Rome and all that.
“Uh-oh. Well… I’ll be in the kitchen. Bye.” Tabitha doesn’t waste a second leaving me here to defend myself all alone. It’s less than one second later before Ridge follows her into the back space, his eyes never leaving her butt as she walks through the swinging doors.
Bennett drops his hands, a smile forming on his lips. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I don’t know,” I answer with a shrug. Why does anything have to be done with me?
He saunters up to the counter, leaning across the top to get closer, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. His palms leave fingerprints on the smooth metal surface, but I don’t even care. I’d let him leave fingerprints on all the glass if it meant he was here kissing me.
“How about a date?” he asks.
“A date?” Kind of feels like we’re a little past the dating stage even though we’ve never had an official one.
Bennett nods. “We’ve never gone on a date. We should.”
Little butterflies start up in my stomach. Half of them are excited about what a date with Bennett will be like. The other half are petrified about what a date with Bennett will be like.
“Sure.”
He backs away when Ridge leaves the kitchen, the doors swinging behind him as he saunters out. Thank God enough time hasn’t passed for me to be worried what they’ve done back there. I should probably sanitize it all again just to be safe. You never know.
Bennett gives me one more kiss, this one on the lips, lasting longer and in front of his boss. “Good, pack a pair of hiking boots.”
Hiking boots?
Without any other explanation like what kind of date requires hiking boots, he and Ridge walk out the front door without another word.
“Me thinks someone is in love.” Tabitha holds one of the swinging doors open staring after the guys.
“Who? You?”
She laughs. “No.”
