I gave her a chin lift in acknowledgment but nothing more. My … date curled her upper lip at Beth and kept walking.
My neck prickled as we took the next staircase with Beth falling into step behind us.
“Looks like another nice day,” she prattled amiably. Still attempting to irritate me.
I grunted.
“Congrats on your game.”
Surprised, I nearly did miss a step.
“Lucky Baird is such a good goalie, huh,” she goaded.
And that was more like it.
“Tell him I said congrats. You’re lucky to have him.”
The brunette at my side cut Beth an annoyed look over her shoulder. “Who the fuck are you?”
Charming.
Beth didn’t miss a beat. “The neighbor. And Baird’s friend.”
“You’re not friends,” I gritted out without turning around.
“We’re definitely friends. John too. They love me. I’m lovable. Tell them I said hi.”
“No.” We reached the front entrance of the building and I spun to face Beth. “You are not friends with my friends.”
Look, I knew it was immature. But I couldn’t have Beth Carmichael infiltrating my life via my mates. It was bad enough we were neighbors.
Those large, tip-tilted eyes narrowed and then she turned her big, gorgeous smile on Jules. “Hey, I’m Beth. Nice dress.”
To my shock, the brunette put up a palm and snapped, “Get out of our faces, slut.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I really, really regretted my life choices in the last twelve hours. Also, this woman was in desperate need of some anger management classes. “Ah, fuck.” I cut Beth an irritated look before turning on a heavy sigh to Jules. “Right, you can catch the bus.”
She gaped at me. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Because of her?” she sneered. “Fuck you! Fuck you for getting me up this early and then not giving me a lift!” She slammed out of the building and tottered across the cobbles and into the car park, her ankle bending dangerously before she righted herself.
“Great, thanks to you, she’s going to tell everyone I’m a prick.”
Beth pinched her lips together and then asked with a gentleness that belied her words, “Like they didn’t already know?”
“That was your fault.” I pointed in Jules’s direction. “If you didn’t try to befriend everyone I’m with, that wouldn’t have happened.”
“No. That’syourfault. Up until this moment, you’ve had good taste in sexual partners. So this one’s on you.”
Damn her for being right. “Pfft!”
Beth struggled not to laugh. “I see that you agree.”
I raised my middle finger at her and pushed open the door to exit. Hurrying toward my Land Rover, I grumbled under my breath at the sight of her MINI parked right next to me.
“Captain?”
