“I’m going to remember that later.”
“Oh, darlin’. I’m counting on it.”
“I’ll do a Gorgonzola-and-avocado burger for here. Fries for my side, please. And I’ll grab a drink from the cooler.”
The worker behind the counter of Dickie’s Gourmet Burgers nods and punches my order into the screen, then reads me my total.
I pay, then head to the refrigerator full of bottled sodas. I grab my favorite root beer and twist the top off, then scan the restaurant for a place to sit.
Taken, taken, taken.
Guess tonight wasn’t the best night to decide to take a break from Odette and head back out into the real world.
Admittedly, it was hard as hell to walk away from her earlier and not invite her up to my house later like I have every other night, but I did it.
Now, staring down this packed restaurant and suddenly feeling very alone, I’m regretting it.
I resume my scan. Every table in this place is occupied by a couple or a family. I can’t say I blame them all for cramming in here. Dickie’s has the best burgers around.
Taken, taken, take—
Cobalt. A sweet-yet-sassy smile. Red-painted lips.
Odette.
She sends me a small wave, and I can’t help but grin.
Of course I run into her the one night I’m trying to stay away from her.
I make my way over to the small two-person table she’s nabbed in the corner.
“Waiting for someone, Odie?”
“I didn’t think I was, but maybe so.” She gestures to the empty chair. “Want to join me?”
I slip into the chair, taking a long drink from my root beer.
She wrinkles her nose. “Ew. You’re a root beer guy?”
“You kidding? It’s the only soda I drink.”
“But that’s what they give little kids to keep them off the caffeine. And it’s so ... spicy.” She shudders like she hates the idea of drinking it.
“You’re telling me you don’t like root beer floats?”
“Of course I do.”
“How does that work?”
“Easy. I have them with orange cream soda and call them orange cream floats.” She grins, taking a drink of her orange cream soda.
My lips twitch at her smart-ass comment.
“So,” she says, wrapping her hands around her drink and peeling back the label on the bottle, “is this what the old folks do on a Wednesday night? Get burgers and drink root beer out of bottles like the good old days?”
“Old folks?” I lean across the table, and Odette does the same, coming so close that I’m no longer overwhelmed by the scent of grease and burgers but instead by her. “You didn’t think I was old in the barn earlier when I had my cock in your cunt and thumb in your ass.”
Her eyes widen at my words as I casually sit back in my chair like I said nothing at all.
