“Have you been watching me this whole time?”
“Yes. Because you are so fucking fascinating.”
Her eyes spin in circles for the billion time since meeting me. I wonder how much longer until the things fall out of their sockets. They must have been acrobats in a past life, the way they do loops all the time.
“What are you getting?”
“A BBQ bacon double cheeseburger and a large fry. You?”
“A junior cheeseburger.”
“That’s why you have low iron. A junior-fucking-cheeseburger? Fucking hell. No. You are not getting a junior cheeseburger, or they will think I’m on a date with a minor.”
“It’s not a date,” she challenges.
“Doesn’t mean shit what it is, it’s about how it looks.” I grab the menu from her hands. Skimming it for the first time in months, I try to find something she might like. “Okay. You’ll get a glam burger with fries.”
“You can’t just decide what I’m going to eat. That’s extremely rude.” She folds her arms over her chest. “I can’t eat that much food.”
“So don’t finish it.” I shrug, tossing the menu on the table. “But you are not ordering a junior cheeseburger on my watch.”
“Fine.” Her eyes roll again. “If you’re going to force me to indulge, I also want a strawberry milkshake.”
“Would you like that with a cherry on top?” I grin.
“Yes,” she shoots back.
After we order, she takes to glancing around the restaurant. Lavish Royal is one of my favorite restaurants. Its simple food is done classy. It’s won many awards for taste alone, yet the vibe is a mix of upscale and edgy.
When I found this place, I swore I’d never sleep with anyone who works here. Didn’t want to risk being thrown out, but after getting to know the owner, and the plenty of hot women he hired, that went right out the window.
He would pick keeping me as a customer than any girl who decided to throw a fit over me sleeping with them and never calling them back. Not sure he will ever make boss of the year like that, but with food as good as his cooks serve, it doesn’t matter.
I also swore I’d never bring a girl here. I didn’t need one of my hook ups finding out about this place. They might want to return. While I’m sure Victor would kick them out over me, I don’t want to make him do that.
So as Prue studies the place, to avoid looking at me, I sit with the fact I’m breaking a lot of my rules for her. I don’t like it. I don’t like the way she makes me feel at all.
I’m not stupid. It’s not like I haven’t liked a girl before. I know what a crush feels like. Couldn’t be immune to that if I wanted. It’s human nature to feel drawn to people, especially pretty girls, but it’s never been likethis.
I normally entertain a girl for a few hours, sleep with her, and move on to the next. With Prue I find myself not ready to moveon yet. That might change when I actually fuck her, but until then I’m forced to sit with these warm, fuzzy feelings.
And I hate them.
“Where are we going after this?” she finally asks, resting her eyes on me.
“We are going to get you a tattoo.”
“I’m not getting a tattoo.” She tucks a strand of her short hair behind her ear.
“Oh. Yes, you are. It’s now my job to bring out the rebellious girl trapped inside of you. I owe it to the world.”
She laughs. “It was just a fun idea, Ben. I can’t really get a tattoo. Unless…”
“Unless?” I question. I can tell by the tone in her voice that I’m not going to like whatever answer she gives. Her evilness knows no bounds when it comes to me. She is trouble, and I’m addicted to it.
“Unless you get one too.” She grins. “And I get to pick what you get.”
“Okay.” I shrug. If that is her master plan to try to get out of getting a tattoo, she has no idea who she is messing with. I’m damn near out of space, at least anywhere visible, but she doesn’t seem to realize that I have very little shame. “I accept your terms and conditions. We will both get tattoos.”
