He is not on his best behavior. And neither are my sisters. The entire restaurant is staring because they’re so fucking obnoxious. We won’t be allowed back in next week. Even Bradley, our regular waiter, is eyeing us with mortification. I don’t know how they talk me into this every week when I know how it goes. I’m usually leaving outrageous tips to make up for the fact that I have a family of wild animals.
My sisters have always been nosy and mostly overbearing, but it seems to have amped up ever since I had my heart ripped out a few years ago. I know they’re just concerned about me, and that they love me deeply, but this, right now, is not my older sisters being concerned. No, this is them embarrassing the shit out of me. Yet, here I am, sitting in the front row watching this circus show. There’s no escaping it.
Eliza is groaning about having to pee constantly, Jane is drinking herself under the table, and Kate is snorting like a pig in a pen at everything Luke says.
And Luke…he’s charming and his laugh is infectious, and all the women in the restaurant can’t stop staring at him. It’s making my eye twitch.
I mean, sure he’s young and attractive…in a muscly, primal, He-Man sort of way. If you’re actually into that sort of thing. But do they have no shame? Can’t they keep their eyes to themselves?
I spend the entire time shooting withering looks across the restaurant at strangers who just happen to look our way.
When it’s finally over, I have a raging headache.
“That was awful,” I tell Luke as we move to my Tesla, and I pull the driver’s side door open.
He slides inside the passenger seat and buckles up.
Yes, I drove him to the restaurant. He didn’t even ask. He just followed me into my car like a stray dog.
“Nah, that was fun,” he chuckles. “I like your sisters. They remind me of my brothers.”
I eyeball him. “Oh, dear god. There are more of you?”
“Yep, and a cousin. We are fucking awesome. Just like your sisters. You’ll meet them one day and fall in love.”
“Well, all I can say is that A, I will not be meeting your family, and B, you will not be seeing my sisters again.”
“Nah, Eli. We exchanged phone numbers when you went to the bathroom. Had to be all covert about it since you looked like you were about to have an aneurism. I think you had too much fun.”
Shaking my head, I pull out of the parking lot, and begin the short drive back to my house.
His phone pings when I’m stopped at a light, and he glances down at it and snorts.
“Your sisters,” he beams and waggles the phone in his large hand. “Fuck. They’re fun. I hope someday they’ll add me to your group chat.” When I scoff, he looks at me. “How are you all related? You’re the definition of un-fun.”
“I’ve been asking myself that question for as long as I can remember.”
When I pull into the garage, Luke hops out and follows me inside. I didn’t invite him in, but he waltzes right in like he lives here. This is a pattern, one that I’ll need to break very soon.Before something terrible happens…like I start to like him.
“Do you mind?” I ask when he flops down on the couch and spreads his thick thighs out in front of him. They’re very nice thighs. Very muscular. I should not be noticing them or how nicely his bulky body fills out his jeans and tight T-shirt.
“What?” he asks, closing his eyes.
“You’re not hanging out here today. You need to go back to wherever you came from.”
He peels an eye open and then holds a finger up to his lips.
“Shhh, Doc. I drank too much. Your sister Jane is like a fucking fish. Never seen a woman down so much alcohol in such a short amount of time. I just need to sleep this buzz off. Then I’ll go. Cross my heart.”
I run a hand through my hair and watch in amazement as he just slips off into sleep. Seriously, he just closes his eyes, and he’s out like a light. It’s been less than a minute and he’s actually snoring.
How did I manage to acquire this large man? Will I ever get rid of him?
With my luck, probably not.
I sigh, resigned to my fate, which doesn’t seem so terrible at the moment and lower myself down next to him, pulling out my laptop. Better do some research while I have the time. There’s a conference I’m attending soon, and I need to pick out which workshops I plan to join before I get stuck in some that are utterly useless and a waste of my life.
I’m already regretting my decision to attend. My sisters are right. I hate interacting with people. Networking? Who needs it? I could live in a cabin in the woods for the rest of my days and be utterly happy. I’d make friends with the bears and have food air-dropped nearby.