“You know what, I didn’t want to do this.” She sets the pastry down and starts to dig through her purse. “But you’re forcing my hand.”
I stare at her as she produces her cell phone. She clicks around on it until a photo appears. “Here.” I take hold of her phone and stare down at a picture of Chase. Funny. I didn’t take any pictures of him. I should have. One with the two of us together.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
I blink a few times and nod. “It’s Chase.”
“Talking to Mona.”
I see that. I also know when it was because he was wearing his Aries tee. “Was this taken last Saturday?” I guess it could’ve been Friday. He wore the shirt two days in a row, but he met her for the first time on Saturday.
“Yes. It was Saturday. I saw them as I was coming out of the drug store.”
“You took the picture?”
“Yeah.”
Okay. Should I be concerned that Bella’s taking photos of Mona with my boyf—a guy I had a fling with?
No. I’m not the only one who despises Mona. Bella has a beef with her too. Then, there’s all of her tenants who have to be out in a few weeks. Every one of them except her nephew. He gets to stay put; that’s no doubt so she can continue to make my life a living hell.
Which reminds me… Mona complained about me again. Something about where my truck is usually parked blocking the view of her nephew. A view of what? The highway? Needless to say, I’m due in front of the council again next week. The bitch. You know what, I think Bella is right. Someone’s going to off that woman. I smirk. I lift a shoulder. “So, what?”
“Why was he talking to Mona?”
I stare at the photo. “He met her that day.” The pair are standing outside Brother’s Place. Mona’s looking up at him. Her arms are crossed. She looks rather smug, but that’s just her. It also appears he’s the one talking.
“This doesn’t mean anything.”
“Okay. Then what about this one?”
She brings up a second photo. This one is different. In it, they’re both smiling. Not only that, but they’re shaking hands.
“Why would they shake hands?” I bring the phone up closer and enlarge the photo. Chase’s palm is up and Mona’s hand is on top of his. “But are they shaking hands?” I can’t tell.
“Yes, Lou Lou. They’re shaking hands.” Bella sighs, most likely due to frustration. I can make her that way. “Why the ef are they shaking hands? What did they agree on? Because, to me, a handshake means they sealed some sort of deal.”
“No idea.” I mean, who would voluntarily touch that woman? Not me, that’s for sure. “It’s too bad I can’t just ask him.”
“Why can’t you? Send him this photo and ask him what the hell he was doing shaking hands with the fucking devil of Zodiac Hills.”
Because I can’t. “I don’t have his number.”
“You don’t have his number?”
I lift that shoulder again, attempting to seem casual. “No. Why would I need his number?”
“To call him. Text him. Phone sex is fun.”
“That’s not what it was about. It was a fling.” I say the last word like it’s the saddest word in the whole dictionary.
“You are not a ‘fling’ kind of woman.”
I take offense to that. “I can be a ‘fling’ kind of woman. I am. I did. I was a ‘fling’ kind of woman.”
“Sure.” She takes her phone and drops it back into her purse.
Which reminds me.
