“Don’t get cocky."
My lips quirk to the side. “I wouldn’t dream of it… Now what were you saying about how much better I am?”
“You do a lot of things better than Shawn… And…” The intense stare is back, and it suddenly feels like we are the only two people in the entire bar. “And I hope that extends to all of your behaviors in the shop.”
I lean forward again and straighten my legs beneath the table so every part of me is as close to him as possible. “What exactly are you talking about?”
“Im just saying, that I hope you’ll keep any extra curriculars discreet.”
I lower my chin. “You’re gonna need to be more specific.”
“How much clearer can I make it?”
“Pretend I'm an idiot.”
Biting his lip, Tek's gaze drops to the table, and when he looks at me again he says, “If you fuck someone in the shop, do it quietly.”
I splutter, my skin flashing hot. “Yeah. Real funny.”
He tilts his head. “I’m not joking. We’re all adults…"
I feel like I’m going to explode.
I don’t even need to dig that deep to reach conclusions, because Tek doesn’t lean back or move his body in any way. He just keeps staring like he’s testing me.
All the things I’ve been holding in are racing over my tongue.
I’ve been drinking. I have an excuse. Just like when I lifted my shirt and teased him, I can easily pretend that it was just the alcohol loosening my inhibitions if things—
A pair of hands slap onto the edge of the table between us. It’s Brooklyn, leaning in, tits first. With a sugared voice, she says, “Congrats on second place.”
Tek gives her a slow once over. “Nice dress. Where’s the rest of it?”
She smiles wide, acting unphased. And with a quick glance at me, she says, “He used to be so much sweeter. I don’t know what you’ve done to him, Carey.”
“He saves all his compliments for me, now.” My voice is smooth and arrogant, and I'm pretty sure Tek taps my foot beneath the table in approval.
Brooklyn lingers a little longer, her gaze darting between Tek and I like she’s just as desperate to figure out mine and Tek’s relationship as I am theirs.
Straightening out, she looks past us to the small dance floor where Anaise and Austin are even closer than they were before. “You two coming? Or are you gonna sit here and stare at each other all night?”
Tek dusts some invisible dirt from the table top. “Hard pass.”
“I’ve got no rhythm.” I give a half-assed little shrug. “I’d only embarrass you.”
Brooklyn’s eyes roll like she could care less. “Suit yourselves.” She pivots, and struts towards the writhing, drunken mass of bodies.
Within thirty seconds she’s got two men vying for her attention. With one on each arm she keeps glancing at us but Tek gives her nothing but the back of his head.
“That woman is like a raccoon with a piece of scrap metal.”
“She wants you pretty fucking bad,” I say, half under my breath, because I want him to know that it bothers me, but I’m too chicken shit to say it with real conviction.
With a nod, Tek says, “Everybody wants something,” and turns around to look at the dance floor for the first time.Brooklyn notices in an instant, shaking off the two men to move closer to Austin. With an arm around Anaise, she starts swaying with her, then spins their bodies so she's wedged between them.
Austin looks at us with an expression that sayswhat the fuck is she doing?then mouths the words, “Help me.” But he doesn’t look unhappy in the slightest.
Tek watches for a beat, then turns back to me. “She’d eat him alive.”
