Ripley gaped at me. “You did? You really didn’t have to do that. I never wanted it to go this far. I don’t know why he won’t leave me alone. I’m all right though.”
I made a point of slowly looking her over from head to toe and back up again. “Honestly, I don’t entirely blame the guy for wanting you. I think you underestimate the power you have over a man.”
She flushed a deeper red, her lashes fluttering. Nervously, she tucked a strand of hair that had escaped her clip behind her ear. “I think you might be a little bit crazy.”
“I’m also smart, charismatic, and incredibly good looking. So I guess there has to be a tradeoff somewhere.” I flashed her a smile that had her squirming, shifting from foot to foot.
“Humble too I see,” she fired back. “I better get your order to the kitchen. I’ll be back.”
“I look forward to it.”
I watched her go, glad my friends weren’t around to see me now. I would never hear the end of it. They were soft suckers who let themselves get in over their heads. I wouldn’t make that mistake.
Ripley needed someone to play the role of boyfriend and keep dipshits like Jamie at bay. I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t help her out with that. We would both gain something from the arrangement. After graduation, we would go our separate ways. That would be the end of it. We would both be left with a nice memory of a good time. That was enough for me.
I screwed around on my phone, scrolling social media while waiting for my food. Once Ripley returned with my meal, I caught her hand as she set the dish on the table. Pushing up her sleeve, I revealed the bruise left behind by Jamie. A perfect hand print.
“I’m going to break every one of his fingers, doll. That’s a promise.”
Her gaze fell to the bruises. “You don’t have to do that. Really. It’s over now.”
“I really do. Any man who touches my fake girlfriend like this has it coming.” My smile faded because I was dead serious.
Not wanting to draw the attention of her coworkers, I quickly released her arm. Ripley nodded, like she wasn’t sure what to say. “Enjoy your meal. I’ll be back in a bit to check in on you.”
She tugged her sleeve down before approaching the next table. Not wanting to stare at her like a creep, I turned my attention to the plate of pasta before me. It smelled damn good and would keep me occupied for at least ten minutes.
While I ate, I thought about Jamie. How I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him again. I owed him a handful of brokenfingers. Part of me was tempted to hunt him down tonight and finish the job.
Then Ripley swept past me, trailing her vanilla scent as she went. Jamie could wait. Now I had something else in mind.
CHAPTER EIGHT
RIPLEY
Serving Auryn felt strange. Especially after dealing with Jamie. However, he was perfectly nice. Ate his meal and left without hassling me. He even left a much bigger tip than I would’ve expected. Who left a hundred dollar tip on a twenty dollar meal?
The rest of the night thankfully passed without incident. I went through the motions of serving those who came to my tables. Time passed and soon I was able to go home. Since it was a little after midnight when I left the restaurant, I was nervous about possibly finding Jamie waiting for me in the parking lot. At this point, I wouldn’t put it past him.
Clutching my jacket hood as I hurried across the parking lot, I was surprised to find there was indeed someone waiting for me. Auryn.
He sat on the hood of a black Porche which had been parked next to mine. Glancing up from his phone at my approach, he tilted his head to one side. Giving me a curious onceover.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted.
He slid off the car, offering me a shrug. “I thought I would hang around and make sure Jamie didn’t come back. I wanted to make sure you got home safe.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I’d known a few decent guys, even dated one or two. None of them had gone out of their way for me like this. Having Auryn make such a sweet gesture made my insides warm and fuzzy. I hated that.
“You really didn’t have to do that.” My instinct was to keep him at arm’s length. To make sure he didn’t get too close.
I knew what kind of guy Auryn was. Obviously, he was taking his fake boyfriend role seriously. Which I appreciated. And yet, I needed to remind myself that this was nothing more than an exchange. A favor.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all. Having Auryn act as my boyfriend while possibly enjoying another night together was harmless on the surface. Yet seeing him there staring at me with those adorable puppy dog brown eyes made me question my ability to maintain a safe boundary between us. I didn’t want to get hurt.
“Of course I did. Jamie seems like the type to come at you in a dark parking lot. I figured it would be safer if I hung around.” Auryn raked a hand through his blonde hair. Even in the dark parking lot with only a few security lights scattered about, it shone with an almost white brilliance.
“Should I be worried about running into you in a dark parking lot?” I teased, pulling the car keys from my purse. “You are a known criminal after all.”
