"You have to leave?" I asked, suddenly sad to see them go.
"Yeah." Angel stood. "Work calls."
I stood as well. "It was nice to meet you guys. Sounds like you're in a hurry, so why don't you go ahead and head out and I'll grab the check. Thanks for letting me crash your lunch."
They eyed each other. Angel's sexy smirk made another appearance.
"There won't be a check. Everything's taken care of. Thanks anyway." He offered me his hand. "It was great meeting you."
A handshake seemed kind of formal since he'd been so nice, so I hugged him instead. "Thank you for your kindness. I needed this today."
Bones had tensed and closed in on us like I was some sort of danger to Angel. I laughed, because he really was funny. I hugged the big guy too, which seemed to really throw him off. He patted my back awkwardly before pulling back.
"Thank you both. This was nice."
They muttered in agreement before heading toward the door. I needed to get going, but wasn't about to let the rest of the tasty pizza go to waste so I asked a passing server for a box, dropped a tip on the table and headed out, wishing I would have gotten their phone numbers. Vegas was a lot bigger than the village I'd come from, and I'd need all the friends I could get. Especially handsome ones.
CHAPTER THREE
Angel
"THAT GIRL'S A trip," Bones said as we left the restaurant.
I was thinking more like gorgeous, sweet, and brave, but "a trip" described her pretty well, too. "Who the fuck goes to Africa by themselves? She could have been killed, or worse." The assholes down there don't have a code. They don't have someone like my father making sure lines aren't crossed. But Markie had survived over a year down there, and that was damn impressive.
"I don't know, but that's some crazy shit. What made you invite her to our table?" he asked.
I looked at him like he had lost his mind. "You did see her, right?" I'd always been a tits and ass guy, and Markie's curves worked her sundress in a way that made me want to wrap my arm around her narrow waist. "I stopped to check her out, and she thought I was the restaurant manager, come to let her know her table was ready."
"You're shitin' me?"
"I swear."
He threw back his head and laughed.
"Yeah. Funniest thing I've heard in a while. She got all embarrassed and holy fuck! Did you see her dimples?"
"She's hot, I'll give you that," Bones finally admitted. "But she's just a broad, and you're actin' crazy. Fix your shirt and tie. Are you taking these guys to a meeting or to a strip club?"
"Huh?" I followed his gaze, and sure enough, my tie was loose, and my collar button undone.
When did that happen?
With no time to worry about it, I fixed my appearance and we hurried on our way. Before we turned the corner, I glanced over my shoulder to find Markie standing outside the restaurant with an open pizza box in her arms. An elderly couple talked to her as they each reached in and took a slice. Markie called a mother and two small children over. What was she doing? Did she plan to share with the entire airport?
Her long blonde curls cascaded down her back and, as she slipped a rogue lock behind her ear, I wanted to run my fingers through it.
What the hell's wrong with me?
Bones nudged me. "Never met anyone like her before."
Still transfixed by the natural girl-next-door beauty before me, I stole one more eyeful of her soft curves and her dimpled smile.
"Nope. And we probably never will again."
A little pang of regret pierced my chest.
***
