“Is everything okay here?” he asked us with a tight smile.
“Yes. It’s fine,” Scout told him through clenched teeth.
“It didn’t look fine from the bar.” He furrowed his brow. “What’s going on. Do you know each other?” He looked from me to Scout.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s fine.” With Landon’s hand assisting her, Scout turned around and took a step away from the table. As she started away, she turned her head, and we made full eye contact for the first time. “He’s just some stupid fucking loser.”
***
A full week passed with me sitting at that club, watching Scout work. Ludovica decided to stay in the colony, but she needed time to dig up more information on Magdalena, so she didn’t return to the club.
That first night stung. Scout didn’t speak to me after Landon’s pop-in. The second night I requested her as my waitress again. To which, after a very generous tip to the owner, I was allowed. She didn’t speak to me then either. The third night was much of the same, but I did get one request at the end of the night.
“Please, don’t follow me home tonight.”
“Why? Is Landon taking you home? I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten some sleep lately. That’s a nice change of pace.”
“What does that even mean?” she mumbled, leaning into the table.
“Every single time you’ve fucked, I’ve seen it,” I told her.
She gave me a look I couldn’t put my finger on but said nothing.
“But, based on that threesome, he and his little buddy aren’t much of a competition. Together or solo,” I smirked.
She frowned, her lips trembling for a moment. But then she straightened her spine and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter either way. He’s not you, and that alone is fantastic.”
“Fantastic?” I laughed. “That’s not the word I’d use to describe what I’ve seen.”
“Oh yeah? And what word would you use?”
I thought for a moment before smirking and answering her. “Tepid.”
She stormed away then, and despite her request, I did follow her home. I didn’t try to go in. I just made sure she got into her apartment safely. And I did it again the next day and the next.
Each day, she got bolder. She would say smart comments to me, and I’d respond just as snarky. She’d storm off and, a half hour later, return to do it all over again. It became a routine that I didn’t entirely mind.
At the end of the week,towardthe end of her shift, she came over and gave me a new drink.
“I wouldn’t bother tomorrow. I won’t be here all weekend.”
“Why?” I demanded.
“Landon is taking me away for the weekend.”
“Where? With that other frat guy?”
She refused to look at me, I noticed. In fact, she didn’t look happy at all. “Him, and possibly a third. They want me to try it out.”
“Try out what?” I spat.
Three men? No fucking way.
“It’s normal here,Desi. Every woman has multiple men.”
“Okay, that’s all good and dandy, but is it what you want?”
“It doesn’t really matter what I want.”
