Page 41 of A Twist of Fate

Just the Night

Kane

Gretchen had been a bit standoffish since the morning I woke up with her draped all over my body. We were both still fully clothed, and yet it was probably the most intimate experience of my life. As often as I’d fantasized about sex with her and what that would be like, I’d never thought of how it would feel just to hold her close all night. It was different, exhilarating, and filled something inside of me that I didn’t realize had been empty. How the fuck was that? I woke up feeling like the king of the world. Gretchen, on the other hand, woke up looking as though she was about to be sick.

I knew it was guilt. There was no doubt in my mind that I was the first man she’d spent any type of time with like that since T-Bone died. I understood even as my ego took a hit from her reaction. I refused to let her pull away though. Not now. Not when we’d just made a little bit of headway in her claiming her life back again.

I gave her a little time to come to terms with waking up next to me – or on me – and hoped that Gretchen would see she hadn’t done anything wrong. That didn’t appear to be the case. So, I waited a little longer before I noticed her leaving for her lunch break one day. I had purposely blocked out her usual lunch times all week in my calendar so that I would have the time free to do what I was about to do. I would not be embarrassed about hijacking a lunch date from her either.

The moment she stepped out the door I followed. “Oh hey!” She managed to get out after jumping out of her skin when she felt me brush up against her as the door slowly shut behind us.

“Hey, G.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to lunch, same as you,” I told her.

“Oh, okay, well enjoy your lunch.” Her words were dismissive as if we’d be heading in opposite directions. Poor thing didn’t even clue in until I moved to hold the door for her at her favorite deli. “W-what are you doing?” The stutter was cute. I just grinned in response.

“My momma would have my ass if I didn’t hold the door for a beautiful woman.”

Her chest, neck, and cheeks flooded with pink as a blush stole across her body in response to my calling her beautiful. It was good to know she was just as affected by me as I was by her.

“I meant,” she glanced around her surroundings. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s lunch time, G. I’m hungry. You’re hungry. I think it’s pretty obvious we’re both here to eat.”

“Oh, but I…” She stopped and looked around again as if someone was going to pop out of the woodwork and save her from having lunch with me. Not in this lifetime sweetheart!

I tipped my chin up as the line moved. “Your turn to order, sweetheart.” She jumped a little, hesitated for just a moment, and then ordered one of the club subs the deli was known for. “I’ll have the same, both with large drinks, and a bag of chips,” I told the girl behind the counter.

“Oh no,” Gretchen tried to stop me from putting our orders together.

“Why don’t you go find us a table while I get this?” If she had something else to put her mind on, maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t run out of here like her panties were on fire. Instead of arguing this time, or trying to, she turned and went to find us a table. It was only then I noticed that Sully and Zeke were both sitting a couple feet away from where everything had just gone down. It was a good thing Judah and Ever were both still back at the shop, because it never occurred to me that everyone else had been gone already.

“Did you just hijack a lunch date with our lovely receptionist?” Sully asked me with eyebrows raised into his nonexistent hairline.

I shrugged my shoulders as Zeke laughed and tossed his used napkin down on the tray he was about to put up. “Good luck with that,” he told me quietly before leaving a stunned Sully behind to gape at me further.

“Leave it, Sul.” I hissed the words at him before his shocked appearance turned stony.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, and you better have the best of fucking intentions here.”

“No need to worry.”

“Good, because I don’t want to have to kick your ass, but I will if this shit fucks her up in any way.” Once he spoke his piece, he waved to Gretchen and left the deli. She was sitting in a seat by the front window and watching the traffic pass as she continued to refuse to look back in my general direction. When our order was up, I grabbed it and took it to the table she snagged.

“I hope this was good enough.”

“It’s just fine. I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink.” She started to rise as I held the empty cups up. “No, you stay put. Just let me know what you want.”

“Sweet tea would be nice.”

I brought the lady back her sweet tea as I took the seat across from her. “You’ve been avoiding me,” I finally said when she made it clear that she planned to just eat quickly and leave.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Gretchen.” Her name was all I needed to say before she huffed out a frustrated breath.

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