I want to ask when the hell we all became friends, but Eden speaks first.
“Do you mind, baby?”
When I gesture at the empty seat across from us, they slide in and snatch the menu from Eden.
They giggle and talk nonsense while I kiss the side of Eden’s neck. The server returns for our orders.
“What are you having?” I ask Eden. “You’ve been studying that menu forever.”
She elbows me in the ribs, and I pretend to be hurt.
“I think I’ll have the shrimp dish.” She points to it, and the waitress writes it down.
Her friends order next, and when it’s my turn, I say, “Two ribeyes, and one order of the lemon chicken skillet.”
“Hungry?” Eden whispers to me while her friends order.
“I don’t like shrimp,” is all I say.
Chapter 51
Eden
Cori kicks me underneath the table. She tilts her head to the side when I look at her, but I have no idea what she’s trying to say. At the same time, Rip’s phone vibrates, and he tells me he’ll be right back.
“What?” I whisper-shout, still annoyed with them for barging in on my date.
“He’s here,” she says.
“Who?”
“The guy she’s been following for weeks.” Selene looks at her disapprovingly. “This is why you wanted to come here?”
Cori ignores Selene’s question. “And he’s with a prostitute. Look.” I slide to the end of the booth and peek out. The man, who looks very handsome in a gray Henley, is sitting across from a woman. “She’s young. Looks barely legal.”
“How do you know she’s a prostitute?” There’s nothing about the woman that says sex worker. She’s in a pretty, but conservative, red dress. I do agree that she looks young.
“They make them dress that way,” Cori says.
I slide back in the booth, uncaring about this man or the woman he’s with.
“Look. He just got up.” She slides the divider and quickly sticks her head back inside. “He saw me. Looked right at me.” She takes my drink and downs it. The server returns with their drinks and a fresh one for me. When she’s gone, Cori says, “I bet he texted Rip so they could go have a chat.”
“Hey, I have an idea. You should go outside, follow them, and eavesdrop.” I roll my eyes at my friend.
“So, you admit that they know each other, and I’m right?” She glares at me, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“I don’t know anything,” I admit.
“Ugh.” Cori sits back in the booth. “Ask him.”
“Cori, let it go,” Selene says. “Don’t get Eden involved in this.”
Cori slides out of the booth. “I’m going to the bathroom.” She grabs her purse and runs out before I can say a word.
“You know how she gets,” Selene says. “She’s like a dog with a bone.”
I raise my glass and clink with Selene.
