"Order inside; it's quicker," one of the guys at the table helpfully informed me.
"Thanks, be right back," I headed toward the main venue, dodging the milling crowd and nodding greetings to old friends and acquaintances.
Inside, the restaurant was dimly lit, a few tables taken up by couples, but most were outside enjoying the final few weeks of summer. I placed an order and then hit the john before heading back out.
I'd finished and was leaving when I heard Blue's voice cut through the chatter in the long line waiting to use the female toilet. The conversations slowed around me, all turning to listen to the voices carrying from inside the restroom.
"I don't want to hear it, Hannah." Her tone put me on high alert. She sounded colder than ice and madder than hell. I bristled, ready to charge in if needed. I slipped my phone from my pocket, texting a quick message to Drake.
Dane
Inside. Toilets. SOS.
"But,” Hannah Sharp's voice sounded stiff. "I'm only trying to give you some advice, honey."
"Okay, one, I'm not your honey. Two, I don't require unsolicited advice about how to keep my men happy. We're ecstatic without your input.”
"I have no doubt about that,” Hannah replied quickly. "But, you know, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. Just in case a—" she paused, "—real woman tries to—"
"Whoa," Blue snapped. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back the fuck up. Real woman? Who do you think you are, Hannah Sharp? A real woman? As opposed to what? A plastic barbie doll?"
"That's not what I meant—“
Blue cut her off. "Thanks for trying to undermine me, but, unlike you, shitty high school tactics no longer work on me. Bye."
I watched, waiting for my girl to appear. She didn't disappoint. Her hair flowed behind her in a midnight cloud, her tight shirt clinging to every curve, while her denim skirt moulded to her thick thighs in a way that made me want to wrap them around my head.
"Oh," she pulled up, blinking twice at me in the dim light. "Dane, I—"
I caught sight of Hannah over her shoulder as she exited the restroom with a pinched look on her face.
"Yo, Hannah," I called, nodding at her. Hannah's eyes widened, the colour draining from her face. "You ever talk shit to my woman, or, hell, any other woman in town, I will personally see you suddenly need to move. Got it?"
She nodded, her eyes still wide. I felt a touch of satisfaction at the glint of fear I caught in them.
I looked back at my girl. "You good?"
She grinned, crossing her arms, one hip cocked to the side. "I had it."
"I know," I hooked a finger into the pocket of her skirt, reeling her in. "Doesn't mean I don't need to stake a claim, back you up."
"Caveman," she muttered, letting me fist her hair.
"Fuck yeah," my lips found hers, declaring her mine in front of God, man, and all the gawkers.
"You know," Drake drawled from behind me. "This doesn't exactly look like an emergency."
I chuckled, withdrawing. "Come kiss our girlfriend."
With the gossips still watching, Drake sauntered down the hall, wrapping an arm around me and pressing a kiss to our girl's lips.
"You okay, babe?"
"Perfect," she whispered, beaming at us. "But let's go home. I'm ready for bed."
The way she said bed suggested that sleep was the very last thing on her mind. We pulled away, food forgotten, before heading outside.
The sun had dropped below the horizon, the light now dim in the rapidly darkening sky. Above us, fairy lights twinkled while staff moved about lighting candles and turning on softly glowing mood lamps.
