She presses her lips together until they turn bloodless. Her nostrils flare as she sucks in a deep breath. “I’m sorry you’re such a dickhead.” That being said, she stalks away.
The older man wrings his hands as he glares at his disgruntled employee. “I’m, ah, sorry about that. She’s...” His voice trails off as if he’s at a loss for words.
“Got some serious issues going on?” Asher supplies in the silence.
The older man clears his throat, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement. “Anyway...I’d like to apologize on behalf of our waitress for her unhospitable manner. That’s not the Taco Loco way of treating customers. For your inconvenience, your meal will be on the house.”
“Cool! Free tacos for everyone! Make sure to thank Lila for us!” Asher says, bouncing quickly back to his affable self.
I glance at Sasha as the table once again breaks out into conversation. She looks none too happy. Her lips are nothing more than a tight slash across her face. If I’d been looking to stomp out the flames of any budding romance that might ignite between these two, I’ve accomplished it with flying colors.
Even though I’m tempted to pat myself on the back for a job well done, I refrain.
For the time being, anyway.
3
Sasha
Brows pinched together, I glance around the crowded table in confusion.
How the hell did this happen?
One minute, I’m on a date, and the next, six more people are crammed in and around the booth. Instead of having a quiet conversation so I can get to know Ryder McAdams on a deeper level, football players are raising their voices in order to be heard at the neighboring table.
Easton’s muscular arm is still draped over my shoulder, anchoring me to him. The woodsy scent of his aftershave continues to wrap slyly around me, teasing my—
No.
I refuse to go there. Tonight was supposed to be the first step in moving on from that unrequited situation. Instead, here I am, being inundated by his masculine presence. I pinch his thigh to get his attention. It doesn’t escape me that he’s been avoiding all eye contact for the last ten minutes.
When the first attempt goes unheeded, my fingers sink into his flesh and squeeze. When he glances at me, I whisper, “We need to talk.”
“Sure. No problem. How about after dinner? The waitress should be bringing out our tacos any moment, and I’m starving.” His gaze flickers to Asher. “And you know these guys won’t bother to save any for us.”
At the moment, I don’t give a damn about the tacos. And since I’m of the mind that they belong in their own food group, that’s saying a lot.
“Right now.”
We engage in a staring contest for about fifteen seconds before he shrugs. It would be impossible not to notice how broad and perfectly sculpted his shoulders are. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were chiseled from marble. I shove those errant thoughts away before they can take root in my brain and mess any more with my hormones.
Carson slips from the booth before Easton slides over and rises to his feet. Before I can follow suit, his fingers lock around my wrist, pulling me up in one swift motion.
Embarrassed that my friends have ruined our date, I shift toward Ryder. This evening has turned out to be a total disaster, and it’s doubtful anything will salvage it at this point. “I’ll be right back.”
“No worries,” he says easily.
“I’m really—”
The apology perched on the tip of my tongue gets cut short as I’m dragged away from the table.
I stumble in my haste to keep up with him. “That was rude.”
He snorts under his breath as we step into a short hallway where the bathrooms are located. The way his fingers singe the flesh of my wrist is enough to leave me lightheaded. Needing to break the physical connection pulsing between us, I twist out of his tight grip. It might have taken a while, but I’ve come to the realization that the only way to get over my feelings for Easton is to stomp them out every time they bubble to the surface.
Like right now.
It takes two attempts before he finally releases his hold.
I rub my wrist with delicate circles before backing away and flinging my hand toward the crowded dining room. “What was that all about?”
He shifts his stance as a frown settles across his features. “What do you mean? Joining you for dinner?”
Is he really that oblivious?
I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. “Of course that’s what I mean! Didn’t you realize that we were on a date? Exactly how am I supposed to get to know Ryder if you and your friends are hijacking the conversation?”
“Last time I checked, they were your friends, too.”
I squeeze my eyes closed and suck in a deep breath, hoping it will calm me from the inside out.