“You were smart. He’s fifteen. He was gonna have sex anyway, whether you had a problem with it or not. Not making it a big deal but talking to him like an adult, maybe you’ve stopped the little Tates and Sloanes from coming a decade too early.”
“Okay, just stop.” I groaned, scrubbing my face with my hands. “That’s not something I want to even think about, because you know it would be me bringing the kid up.”
The door pushed open before she could answer and Sam’s head popped inside. “Ayda, you have someone that requested your section. Never seen him before.”
“Thanks, Sam.” I looked at Janette and shrugged. “No rest for the wicked.”
I was done with the filled saltshakers and ketchup bottles. It was in between breakfast and lunch so it was slow. The moment I stepped out behind the counter, my smile grew.
“Deeks, you do realize we don’t sell beer here, right?”
“Oh, you’re a smartass, too. I knew I liked you, kid. I think coffee will cut it. You make one hell of a brew.”
“Coffee I can do,” I said, turning to grab a cup and the fresh pot I’d just brewed. “You want something to eat? Rusty does a mean fried egg sandwich. Has bacon and sausage patties, too.”
“Sold. If you add extra bacon.”
“It’s a greasy spoon. You know that’s a hell yes, darlin’.” I grinned, scribbling on my pad and disappearing through the doors to put in his order, his laughter following me through.
“Someone’s popular,” Sam grumbled, waltzing in and slipping into the one chair in the kitchen area and rolling her ankles. She was the only person I knew that wore heels working in a diner. The damn things would end up crippling her one day. I was just glad that I could wear my favorite chucks, otherwise, I may have thought twice before accepting the job all those years ago.
“Huh?”
“Someone else came in, saw the guy at the bar and meandered over to your section.”
“I’ll get it. Thanks, hon.”
I slipped the ticket in to be cooked and waltzed out, barely noticing Deeks’ eyes on the woman in the booth at the edge of my section. She was beautiful, but it was hard not to see that she was attempting to be something she wasn’t. The pant-suit she was wearing was gorgeous, but the way she tugged at the neckline of her silk shirt was more than enough to tell me she wasn’t used to what she was wearing.
“Hi, welcome to Rusty’s diner. Can I get you something to drink while you decide what you want to eat?”
“Oh, honey,” she purred snidely, her arms folding on the table as she stared up at me. “You’re telling me you don’t know who I am?”
I looked behind me and back at the woman, shrugging. “Am I supposed to?”
“Let’s not play dumb, blondie. I can see you’ve got your guard dog up there at the counter.” I looked back at Deeks in confusion and pushed my order pad into the apron of my dress, my eyebrows raised. The woman, however, chose to continue her speech, completely oblivious to my confusion. “My husband was at your house taking out the trash last night.A word of warning, you’re never going to replace me. I may have moved on but I’m not easily forgotten.”
“I don’t follow.”
Oh, but I did. The reference to the night before was more than enough to tell me that she had some kind of connection to the Hounds, and more than likely, Drew.
“I can see why he might like you. A tight, wet hole was all he was interested in anyway.”
“I really don’t know who you are or why you think it would be okay to talk to anyone that way, but I’m not interested. So why don’t you take your pathetic imitation of housewife somewhere they’ll buy your bullshit? Looks like you can take The Hut away from the whore, but that just leaves a whore, doesn’t it?”
The woman was out of her seat, her fists balled by her sides, before I had time to blink. The sudden flash of pain in my jaw as she swung for my face had my hand on my cheek and my mouth hanging wide open. I’d never been hit before in my life, and the sudden wash of unsated rage was a bitter taste on my tongue, never mind the ringing in my ears. My head and body seemed to align perfectly, demanding the satisfaction of getting payment in flesh and blood.
I’d barely stepped forward, and my breaths weren’t doing anything to control the trembling of my balled fists, when Deeks wrapped an arm around her waist uttering a warning growl to her. “Easy, Maisey. Wouldn’t want to give your husband the wrong idea, would you? This girl’s not got a thing on her record. Just think about that.”
His words were a bucket of cold water over my rage-heated skin. I found myself backing away and looking over at the table crowded with older men looking like it was thebest entertainment they’d had in months. My head ducked, the pacifist side of me screaming out in reprimand for my behavior.
“Get your stinking paws off me, Deeks,” Maisey shrieked, pulling her silk shirt down and snatching her bag from the table.
“Then get the hell out of here, girl. She had you pegged in one conversation and she has no idea who you are. You’ve just made a fool out of yourself in front of the veteran boys for no good reason.”
She glared at him and then me before heading toward the door. The way she wobbled on her heels stripped her of the effect she was obviously going for as she punched the door out of her way and disappeared into the blinding light of the afternoon.
“Can you please explain what just happened?” I asked, turning on Deeks, with my hands on my hips as I heard “order up” from the kitchen.
