“Yo. We out.” I told Parker, making sure to ignore Jasmine and Nairobi.
She glanced at Nairobi and back at me. “Are we going back to your place?” she asked. My eyes nearly popped out my head. This bitch had lost her mind. She’d never been to my spot before.
“You buggin’. Who said anything about coming home with me?”
Parker giggled and downed the last of her drink. “Relax. I was just asking.”
I wasn’t in the mood for her shit. Nairobi already had me fucked up, and Parker was here adding fuel to the fire for what?
I glanced over at their table. Jasmine was looking over the menu, and Nairobi was watching me.
Parker slid off the barstool, tucking her clutch under her arm. “Well?”
I tossed a few bills from my wallet on the bar and headed for the exit.
“That was intense,” she said, following me.
I ignored her, pushing open the door and stepping into the humid night.
I stopped in front of the valet station. “How do you know Nairobi?” I asked.
Parker hummed thoughtfully, her lips curving into a sly smile. “I guess you could say we work together.”
I stepped in front of her. “Yo, you really working my nerves right now. What the fuck does that mean?”
Parker rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say, I help coordinate Nairobi’s…projects.”
My stomach dropped. “You’re her handler?”
“Bingo.” She winked.
I stepped closer to her. “So, you knew I used to deal with her this whole time?”
“Maybe,” Parker smirked, stepping around me to hand the valet her ticket.
This was wild. Parker and I met at a coffee shop of all places. She’d been sitting by herself reading some book, and we kept eyeing each other until she finally approached me before she left. She’d always come off a bit aloof, smart, but a bit of an airhead. I realized now that it was all an act.
I exhaled sharply. “Did you know she’d be coming here?”
She shook her head. “Now that, I didn’t know.”
I searched her face for any hint that she was lying, but she just looked amused. Parker put a hand over her heart. “Scout’s honor. I wouldn’t set you up. It's not like I wanted her to find out about us like this,” she said with mock-sincerity.
“There is no ‘us’, Parker,” I gritted.
She patted my shoulder. “Okay, Fontaine.”
“You really expect me to believe you didn’t know she would be here tonight?”
She shrugged. “Believe me or don’t. But you’rerealpressed about this. She didn’t choose you. So, what’s the real issue? Regret?”
My chest burned. “Watch yourself.”
A smile spread on her face. “Ahh, I see. Hurt, then.”
“You don’t know shit.” I laughed bitterly, shaking my head.
She leaned in. “You looked like you saw a ghost when you saw her. And you haven’t stopped glancing back since we walked out.” She nodded towards the restaurant. “How much you wanna bet she’s been watching us out here this whole time?”
