I glanced at the cashier, who quickly averted his eyes.“He can’t resist my sexiness. It happens all the time.” I caught the guy’s eyes and licked the whipped cream from my straw.
“Can you stop being inappropriate for five seconds?” Ari hit the straw from my hand. I barely caught it in time.“You’re so embarrassing.”
“Your face is embarrassing.” I dipped my finger in the whipped cream and brought it to my lips, winking at the guy as I placed it in my mouth.
“Seriously.” She kicked me under the table and pried the cup away.
“Okay, fine. Pull your panties out your ass.” I snatched it back, then replaced the straw and gave her a bland look.“Happy?”
“I am.” Dennis slipped an arm around my waist as I leaned back.“I definitely found a good one.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“What other people do I own at this table?”
“You don’townme, you tricked me into being your blood bind or whatever.”
“You mean my pet?”
“No.” I ignored his unnerving laugh and turned to Sean.“Why couldn’t you have claimed me instead? Your friend’s insane. I don’t want him.”
“Where’s Mateo?” Ari asked.
“Probably at home,” Sean said. “Or with a girl somewhere. Or at work.”
“Hm,” I pondered as I sipped my shake, “do you guys not talk about that stuff? I always know where Ari’s at. I’m like her keeper.”
“I always know where Emy’s at, too.”
“Why would we?” Dennis made a face.
“You three are like besties, right?” I was assuming because they all seemed close enough.
“We’re roommates.”
“And besties?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
I happy danced as the cashier walked up with two plates. “That’s for me,” I sang, reaching for the pancakes and bacon. He set it down before putting the omelet in front of Ari. “Thank you.”
“Yeah.” He rocked on his feet, looking between me and Dennis, before eventually wandering back to the register.
“He probably thinks we’re on a double date,” Ari said.
I was too busy eating to respond. This place made the best pancakes in the entire world.
“Have you eaten pancakes throughout the entire world?” Dennis asked.
I didn’t respond to him either due to a delicious bite of food. How had he even heard that? No matter. He wasn’t gonna distract me from midnight dinner.
“I have a question,” Ari started, pushing a bite of omelet around the plate. She’d barely touched it so far.“Do you know Melissa?”
“Yeah.”Dennisplaced a hand on my mostly bare thigh.
“Really?” I glared at it.
“Really,” he said cheerfully.
