“Um, it’s, uh, seventeen-hundred for my one-bedroom apartment.”
“Thank you. Please bring us the bill when you have a moment.”
“What are you doing?” Clover asked as the server scuttled away.
“Taking your advice.” I did a quick mental calculation before adding twenty-three thousand dollars as the tip on the bill. I added my credit card and passed it all back to her. “The service was impeccable, thank you.”
The server promptly burst into tears when she saw the amount. I’d calculated to cover a year of her rent, taking the tip-out portion into account. The manager overheard the fuss and hustled over like lightning.
“Is there a problem?”
The server hastily shook her head, clutching the bill and my card to her chest.
“No problem. We had a wonderful dinner, and I wanted to show my appreciation. Please ensure she receives her appropriate share.”
The manager’s eyes bugged out of his head when he saw the amount and quickly ushered the server away to process it. When my card was returned, the server was still in tears.
“I don’t know how to thank you.” She sniffled. “But I’ll say it anyway. Thank you so much. You don’t know what this means. I—I’ve been so stressed about money. This will make such a difference. Thank you.”
I hadn’t anticipated the pride flowing through my chest like warm honey or the high of being faced with tearful gratitude.
“You’re more than welcome,” I assured her. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”
By the time Clover and I departed, the whole staff knew what had transpired. When we got outside, I whispered to her, “Now what’s to stop them from expecting that every time I go there?”
“Nothing, but it wouldn’t hurt you if you did that for every server you ever have,” Clover pointed out. “You changed herlife, and it’s natural for people struggling to want the same for themselves. How did it feel?”
“Incredible.”
Clover beamed. “And it was so easy for you to make a difference. I’m not saying you should shell out thousands to anyone you pass, but I’m not dissuading it either.” She hooked her arm around mine, and I stared at it for a moment, potent desire sliding straight through me as her scent sweetened along with her smile.
“Should I be getting you home?”
“Not quite yet,” she replied, and I felt like I’d won the fucking lottery. “You’re nice to be around when you’re not being a dick, and I’d like to see how long it can last.”
Chapter 20
Clover
Parker had surprised me.
I understood being protective of his pack and being out of touch with the world the rest of us inhabited, but I drew the line at being disrespected. If he was willing to backpedal and put in the work, then I was willing to entertain the possibility that we could be around one another for the sake of the others.
That was weird by itself. I wasn’t totally on board with a pack, but I saw the allure. Getting dicked down by a bunch of hotties wasn’t a bad way to pass the time. I didn’t want to ruin a goodtemporarything because Parker and I were butting heads.
It was kind of unfair that he got the kitty purring. He was gorgeous, though the attitude dropped him down a few spots on the hotness scale. I was infinitely curious what going to bed with him would be like after being with the rest of his pack, and from the way his gaze swept over me every so often, I wasn’t the only curious one.
If Parker was terrible in the sack, then I’d be cured of my curiosity and could move on easier. If he wasn’t…well, that was a bridge I was willing to cross when the time came.
We handed our ticket to the valet, and he zipped off to collect my baby for us.
“What’s the plan, Parker?” I asked when we were alone again.
“Plan?”
“What were you hoping would happen if I agreed to go out with you?”
His cheeks flushed to match his hair. “I didn’t think we’d actually get this far. I still don’t know if I can trust you, but you’re mind-bendingly tempting, and I’m tired of resisting it if you are. You’re a frustrating mystery and you glitter-bombed my car, yet I still want to kiss you.”
