Chapter 8
Alex's Dinerwas filled for the Saturday morning rush. Normally, I would have been among the waitresses rushing around with trays of coffee and eggs, but not this morning. I spotted Marv sitting at the counter talking to Alex. He was dressed down for the morning in a pair of slick, black slacks and a light-blue button-down rolled up to his elbows. There was a light smattering of stubble on his chin and jaw line as if he hadn't shaved in the twelve hours since I had last seen him. I liked him like this, I decided, still dressed up, but more casual. He appeared moreapproachable.
"Well, look who decided to show up this morning." Marv's head came up as Grayson Caruso popped up from an otherwise empty back booth. I groaned and hung my head, debating whether I should just turn around and walk out.Grayson was dressed casually, in a pair of jeans cinched at the waist with a dark brown belt, and a light-purple, cotton t-shirt with a band's logo on thefront.
"I was wondering when you would show up. I asked that girl – " He gestured to Shanavia, one of the regular Saturday morning waitresses, as she hurried by with several steaming plates of the pancake special. "But she said you weren't working this morning. Guess she lied. Where's yoursection?"
"I'mnotworking," I snapped, hefting the bag I had lugged with me all the way from home onto the other shoulder to relieve the stress on the one it had previously been cutting into. "She didn’t lie, and I'm here to see afriend."
"Here, let me get that for you." Grayson smiled, reaching for my bag. I gripped the strap even tighter and twistedaway.
"It's fine. I'm busy. I'll catch you later." I tried to glare him into backingoff.
Marv caught my eye, but he wasn't looking at me. Instead, his gray eyes were narrowed on Grayson. I walked around Grayson and headed straight for Marv, my hand rising to touch his arm. Marv's pinched lips separated as he glanced down at me before they lifted in asmile.
"Hey,Sunshine."
"Ready to start?" My smile was strained as I tried to ignore the sneaking suspicion that Grayson was not goingaway.
"This is your friend?" Grayson asked behindme.
I could have murdered him right then and there. Marv's face hardened and he put a hand on my shoulder, sliding my bag off before placing it on the back of the stool next tohim.
"Hop up," he commanded before turning his full attention to Grayson. "She’s fine. You don’t need to concernyourself.”
I bit my lip, peering back and forth between the two of them before flicking a pleading look at Alex. He was just as interested in watching the train wreck about to happen as Shanavia, who had paused in the doorway of thekitchen.
Grayson stared at him. “I see that.” His eyes flickered over to me for a brief moment and he plastered a smile back on hisface.
The smile and pleasant expression didn't reach his eyes. It was the kind of smile I had seen him give to teachers and friends alike. It was nice enough, but underneath was a thread of detachment, an apathetic guise that lingered in his blueeyes.
Even in school, he never would have noticed someone like me, while he might have been smiling and ribbing his football friends, he had always smiled an eccedentesiast's smile, the smile of someone hiding something. An actor's smile. A politician’s smile. Something familiar in his expression made me think he wasn't as intimidating as he would have everyone elsebelieve.
Grayson didn't appear offended when Marv moved so that he blocked me. Instead, he pinched his lips even as he smiled and turned towards me. "I guess I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you in school on Monday,Harlow."
I blinked, shocked that he would give in so easily. When he moved to slip by me I was slow to adjust and his hip bumped into mine. For a second I thought his hand might have grazed my ass, but when I turned he was already distracted, having pulled out his phone. He stopped in front of the booth he had been sitting at and dropped a few bills on the table even though it was obvious he hadn't ordered anything yet, or if he had, it hadn'tarrived.
When Grayson passed by us once again, he grinned – the odd remoteness I had noted before buried beneath genuine amusement. "Call me when you don't have a guard dog," he said, handing me the phone he had been typingon.
The weight in my hand was familiar, but he couldn't have – I touched the back pocket of my shorts and sure enough, my phone wasn't where I had put it.That's why he grabbed my ass!I realized. Grayson waved once before he disappeared out the frontdoor.
Marv's voice was a low, fuming presence. "Give me your phone." I didn't have time to hand it over before he plucked it out of my palm and slid away the unlock screen. I watched him in stunned silence – less than a week and I had drawn more attention from boys than I had in the past four years of high school. Maybe someone dropped me in an alternate universe or I was stuck inside an extendeddream.
"Damn it." Marv's curse had my attention immediately. I touched his arm again, holding onto the fabric of his expensive shirt. "That asshole texted himself from your phone so he has your number. I was hoping he just put his in your phone. I'm deleting it anyway. If he texts you, don't answer. If anyone texts you that isn't already in this phone, ignore it. I'll talk to Texas and see if we can't get you a newnumber."
"It's not a big deal." I shrugged. "But is it okay if I put my friend Erika's phone number in it?" I asked as he handed the phone back to me. I just wouldn't answer Grayson. He would get the idea that I didn't want to talk to him sooner or later and giveup.
Marv eyes and lips tightened again. "Yea, that's fine. We'll transfer it over when we get you a new phone. I'm still telling Knix. Bellamy said something about a guy, was that him?" I nodded, assuming so. Marv cursed quietly as he retook his seat. "We didn't really think there'd be a problem." He frowned as I began pulling out my books. "We should'velistened."
"He's not really a major problem. He's just someone from school," I said. "I don't know him all that wellactually."
"We’ll figure it out," he assuredme
Alex smiled, and passed me a menu. "Looks like you've become Miss Popularity," heteased.
"Not really." My face heated, overcome with embarrassment and I hid behind the glossy pages of brightly-colored pictures offood.
"Let's get to work," Marv interrupted. "Did you bring what you need?" I nodded and pointed out the study materials I had already laid out on thecounter.