Page 3 of Paved Paradise

“You know, if you need twenty-four-hour protection, I would be more than happy to offer my services.”

I want to roll my eyes at his confidence, but more than that… I’m starting to want to give in.

Chapter Two

Beck

I scowl and yank the diner door open with a little too much force, but my mood dictates my cranky actions. My mood has been sour since I saved the beautiful and elusive “Frank” for the first time. My light obsession has only increased with every encounter since then. She’s a slippery little thing, too. Every time I’ve been blessed with saving the beauty, she's scampered away before I can get her real name. Frank, I scoff; really, Frank? Could she not think up a better fake name?

“And that damn van,” I nearly growl. I didn't realize I said it out loud, or that I was essentially mean-mugging my whole friend group and their women.

“Woah there, big fella, who's finally rattled your knickers?” Grayson asks while I flip him the bird.

“It's nothing,” I mumble before plopping down in the only empty set available at the table, grabbing a piece of bacon, and tearing it in half with my teeth. Aggressive? Yes. Did it make me feel better? Absolutely not.

“Oh no, you're not shutting us out now. We’ve never seen you like this before. What's going on?” Kas asks with concern in his voice.

“Wait, you were mumbling about a van when you walked in. What van?” Alina, Riley's girl, asks. I really thought I could get out of this, but it's just a damn van. A van with a girl I can't seem to stop thinking and obsessing about, but a van nonetheless. And what can they really learn from that?

“It's really nothing, just this yellow Volkswagen van driving around town, the girl who drives it…”

“Oh, you mean Frankie!” Alina exclaims excitedly, and I nearly choke on the bacon that gets stuck in my throat.

“Wait, you know her? Did you call her Frankie?!” I ask her before it hits me, adding, “I thought she gave me a fake name.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me the girl you're pining for is the same girl whose ass you saved from my dad's tow truck?” Grayson asks, eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.

“Of course he told you.” I roll my eyes.

“Well, it's not every day we see you rescuing damsels in distress, even if that’s what you hope we believe,” Riley scoffs, then snuggles into Alina's neck, making her giggle.

“First off, ouch. Second, Frankie is anything but a damsel in distress.” I snort, then smile, thinking of the saucy little hellcat. I’m still smiling as I lift my eyes to meet a very curious Al. She’s looking at me like she's trying to figure me out. It actually freaks me out, and I squirm. This makes her smile mischievously. Oh no.

“Siren, wasn’t that the girl that was supposed to meet you he- oomph,” Riley says, holding his gut as Al shakes her head furiously at him.

“Well, break times over. Got to get back to work. Hungry people all around, ya know,” Al says, fluttering out of the booth and toward the back too quickly to not be suspicious. I open my mouth to ask her what's going on but she's already disappeared. I turn to Riley, who is looking everywhere but at me. Just as I open my mouth to speak, the bell on the door rings, and his eyes go so wide that I’m worried they might actually pop right out of his head. I turn my head to see who it is, but Kas’ words stop me.

“Hey man, what did you say that girl Bobby looked like?” Kas asks, shoving another bite of grits in his mouth.

“It’s Frankie, and she's…. Everything. Firecracker, hell on wheels. Pint-sized whirlwind with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that can cut you to the quick.” I go on until I hear someone behind me clear their throat.

“Uh, yeah, umm… you can just sit here. I'll get you a drink and be right back,” I hear Al say from behind us as I turn my head to see who it is sitting at the booth.

I freeze as I stare into the gorgeous eyes of the girl I was just daydreaming about. Out loud, I might add. Could this day possibly get any worse? I can tell by the smirk on her face she heard at least a little of what I was saying, but the worst of it all is coming from my own damn table.

I can hear the snorts and laughter of my friends, and I swear, after today, none of them get access to the country club pool and buffet ever fucking again. Bastards. I sink further into the booth and groan, wondering how the hell I'm going to get myself out of this diner with at least a scrap of dignity. I turn my glare to Alina as she moves toward our table. I know she sat Frankie right behind us on purpose. It was no coincidence, seeing as the diner is only half full, with most of the empty tables on the opposite wall.

“What are you doing all the way down there, Beck?” Riley asks, lifting his gaze from Al to look at me and smirk.

“Weren't you the one telling us this is our summer? Something big was going to happen. We're all believers now, and it seems you are the one who; what's the word?” Gray ponders, trying to hide his smile.

“Freezes, mate. I think you're thinking of Olaf over here 'cause he straight up froze,” Kas finishes as he takes a bite of eggs. I flip them all off because what the hell else am I supposed to say or do?

“Come on, man, for real. Just turn around and talk to her,” Gray says, lowering his voice this time. I close my eyes tightly, not wanting to have this conversation or this situation happening at all, especially with pretty much everyone I'm close to in this one room to witness my embarrassment.

“Yeah, what's got into you, Beck? You're always the first one spouting off some romantic cheesy shit to strangers even if you get turned down, which you always do…” Riley snorts.

“It's never once bugged you before. Actually, we’ve all come to the conclusion that if one actually paid attention to anything you said, we all bet you’d run like your ass is on fire,” Kas adds with a wide smile.

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