Then slides into the booth next to me, her shoulder bumping mine.
“Could you taste the arsenic this time, babes?”
Emmett’s mouth drops open, and the fresh bite falls out onto his plate as Hatley snorts.
“Don’t scare the poor guy, Blu.”
She tosses auburn strands over her shoulder with a wicked grin, lined green eyes swinging on me. “You knew I’d be working, baby. Don’t play coy.”
“Well, duh,” Hat murmurs around his burrito. “You’re the only one that’ll feed us for free.”
She snorts and runs her acrylic nails over the back of my hand that’s resting on the tabletop. “The least you could do is introduce me to your friend.”
I roll my eyes for her to see but swallow hard when Emmett shrinks back into his seat, food forgotten, hair hiding his eyes.
Shit.
“Em,” I say quietly, waiting for a glimpse of those sweet irises before I continue. “This is Blu. My ex.”
His shoulders come up even higher when she reaches across the table to shake his hand.
“I’m also a transwoman. A college graduate. An apparent giver of blue balls. But sure, I’ll accept the label ofex.”
“He doesn’t do touch,” Hat injects when she’s left hanging.
Shrugging, Blu drops back to our side of the table and shoots me a glare. “Not that I’d consider three dates anex.”
I snicker and bump her shoulder.
“It’s not my fault you said we’d be better friends.”
“But look at us.” She gestures at the table, painted lips tipping up. “Planning to go to the track and shit when I get off. How sweet.”
A laugh bubbles up. “Do you wanna go to the track with us, Blu?”
She rolls her eyes when someone from the back yells after her and pushes to her feet.
“I’ll never say no to sexy, sweaty moto boys.” She leans down and smacks a kiss to the side of my head. “Wait for me.”
I shake my head when she saunters off and Hatley watches her go.
“Am I bi?” he asks out of nowhere and I laugh. “What’s my name? Where am I?”
“C’mon, bro.” I push to my feet. “Let’s go be sweaty moto boys.” My sight drops to where Emmett sits so still that I’d swear he’s not even breathing. “You in, bub?”
He startles like I scared him, like maybe he wasn’t expecting to be spoken to, and blinks those honey eyes at me.
“Uhhmm. O-okay?”
I tip my chin with a smirk and offer him a hand.
Emmett stares at my outstretched palm, confusion making his brows meet like me offering to help him up doesn’t compute.
Fuck, it doesn’t to me, either. But here we are.
Just as I’m about to pull it back, drop it to my side like there’s no skin off my back, he surprises the shit out of me.
And takes it.
