Oh, shit.
Did I?
I push away my plate, unable to shake the knot in my gut. “I don’t think I did.”
My slow-acting insulin is in the car, so there’s no way I mixed up my medications. Did I set the injector to high? Too low? I rarely eat anything this carb heavy. It’s entirely possible that I—
You sonofabitch.
Hematerializes—all six-foot-something of pure male arrogance. I should have known I wouldn’t make it through one whole date without this asshole showing his stupid, smug face. So the question is, which douchebag tipped off Jester I’m here?
I swivel in my seat to glower at the people gathered in the restaurant, knowing it could have been anyone. A server, the poufy-haired hostesses, a guest… All are suspect. I hate each of them, the snitches. But there’s no one I hate more at this moment than my nemesis. And he is striding toward our table with a swagger in his step as if he has all the right in the world to intrude on my goddamn date.
Jester yanks out the chair next to me, spins it around and drops on it. It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to smack the smirk clean off his mouth.
“What are you doing?” I grit out between clenched teeth.
“I’m here to ruin your date,” he admits deadass.
Matthew blinks in surprise, his brow furrowed. “I take it you know him?”
“Remember those friends I grew up with?” I jerk my head at Jester. “This is one of them.”
Jester extends his hand toward Matthew. “Jester. Nice to meet you, my man.”
“Matthew.” Being a gentleman, Matthew shakes Jester’s hand. “I hate to point out the obvious, but I don’t think Faith is happy to see you.”
“You’re right,” I agree. “I’m not.”
“Nah.” Jester dares to ruffle the top of my head. “It’s all good. Fizzle and I go way back. Do you know she has the cutest dimple on the small of her back? Like a little indent. Ow—”
A light slap to the mouth cuts him off. “Stop.”
Jester throws up his hands. “What? I’m just saying, the dimple on your back is cute.”
A glance at Matthew shows he’s physically uncomfortable. I release a loud, frustrated sigh. “In case you haven’t guessed, I dated this annoying mouthbreather. Back when we were in high school.”
“I’m not annoying.” Jester looks to Matthew. “Am I annoying?”
Matthew, God love him, makes a motion with his hand that indicates a small amount. “You’re making Faith uncomfortable.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” I turn and eyeball Jester. “You’re a dick.”
Matthew chokes back a laugh. “I didn’t want to be the one to say it.”
“Smart man.” Jester puts enough nasty in his tone to make his warning clear.
I’m going to kill him. Murder him so dead no one will ever find his body. “You need to leave.”
“I’d rather stay.” The eye he winks at me with… I want to pluck it out of its socket.
Matthew pushes his chair away from the table. “MaybeIshould leave.”
I nail him with a glare. “No. You stay.” Then I make a shooing motion at Jester. “You, go away.”
But he doesn’t leave, of course. Instead, the asshole picks a string bean off my plate and eats it like a French fry. “Come on, Faith, admit it. Life is dull without me.”
Life is not dull without him.
