“What the fuck, Stacy?” Charleigh barked, her inner Marine coming out of her voice. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing coming in here like that? We were milking a damn snake!”
Stacy’s frown went from ferocious to contrite.
Birdee finished up what she was doing, and I helped her and Charleigh get the snake back in the box it’d come out of.
“We don’t allow random strangers off the street in here.” Stacy tried to sound intimidating, but he came off as whiny.
“He’s not random.” Charleigh rolled her eyes at who I now knew was their boss. Shade’s stepfather. “This is Birdee’s new man.”
I couldn’t quite see how a man like Stacy and a woman like the coffee shop owner could have a relationship. Reyelle could do way better.
“He’s…”
I caught Birdee’s hand and squeezed.
She shut her mouth and looked at me with a question.
“Birdee’s just going to walk me out,” I said as I caught her by the shoulders with one arm and guided her out of the room and past the narrow-eyed man.
“What the hell?” I wondered as we got out into the open air. “I had the feeling that you weren’t telling me something, but the way he looks at you is proprietary. Does he make you uncomfortable?”
“Every single day,” she admitted. “But he’s a necessary evil. I won’t give up Reyelle and Shade.”
I squeezed her shoulder lightly with my hand and let her go. “Feel free to use me as a buffer then.”
With that, I headed toward my truck, but said over my shoulder, “I’ll be back to take you home today after work.”
She cleared her throat, once again moving into my space. “I’m borrowing Shade’s truck. I have an interview after work in Jawbone.”
“What’s in Jawbone?” I wondered as I stopped and turned back around to see her face.
“A dog food company that does research for their dog food components. Have you heard of Great Dane’s?”
I frowned. “That really new facility that’s bigger than every business on Moose Trail?”
“That’s the one,” she confirmed. “I have an interview there.”
“I’ll take you,” I blurted.
She blinked. “What?”
“I have some things I need to do there anyway for work. I can pick you up before your meeting and take you. If you’re okay with it, I’ll run my errands and come back for you.”
She blinked. “Are you sure?”
I tugged her ponytail lightly before rounding the hood of my truck and getting in.
I probably should’ve stayed away from her, but there was just something about her that I couldn’t quite let myself do that.
Eight
Once I get an attitude, it takes 3-5 business days to fix my face.
—Birdee to Charleigh
Birdee
Interview done, I waited patiently in front of the now-closed business for Creed to get back.
