Page 33 of Someone You Deserve

“My schedule is kind of crazy though, so…”

“I’ll be free whenever you are,” he says, cutting her off. “Why don’t we exchange numbers and try to set something up for next week?”

She nods, but it’s not confident, and her hands are shaking as she reaches for herphone.

Meanwhile, I’m clenching my jaw so tight that I might just crack a fucking tooth.

After they exchange numbers, Dick grabs his box of baked goods and leaves the store.

And I have the strangest desire to go out after him and break every one of his fucking fingers so he can’t touch her—ever.

Once I drop off the drinks at the table and clean the one right next to it, I toss the empty drink tray on the counter behind the bar and blow out a long breath.

“All right. What’s got your balls all twisted up?” Dallas leans over to me as we rest our backs on the counter behind us, watching the restaurant run around us.

“That’s a visual I never needed to conjure up.”

“Well, that’s how you’re acting.” He raises one brow in my direction. “You’re scaring my customers.”

“I am not,” I argue.

“Sure. You didn’t see the looks on the faces of the two women at table eight as you stomped away after delivering those drinks to table seven.”

I turn my attention to the elderly women sitting there as one looks in my direction, assessing me with wide eyes.

“I’m just tired.”

Dallas shakes his head at me. “Nope. Not buying it.”

“Hey, gentlemen.” Of all the fucking people to come into Catch & Release tonight, it had to be this fucking guy.

Dick Cockwell stands on the other side of the bar, grinning like a fucking fool, like he had the best fucking day of his life, and you know what? He probably did since Astrid agreed to go out with him.

I know I’d feel the same way.

“Richard. Good to see you,” Dallas greets him as he pushes off the counter behind us and reaches out to shake his hand.

“Same to you. I was craving the fish and chips, so I stopped to grab some on the way home.”

“Did you call your order in?”

Dick nods. “Sure did. Although, it was weird hearing someone other than Astrid answer the phone.”

Dallas eyes him curiously. “Yeah, we really miss her around here.”

“Her baking skills are being put to better use now though, aren’t they?” Dick turns his eyes to me, a cocky grin on his lips. “How’s it going, Penn?”

I glare at him, debating how many bones I could break in his body with one punch. “It’s going.”

“Still doing work on Astrid’s shop?”

“Yup.”

“Did she tell you she agreed to go out with me next week?” he says, and Dallas’s head twists in my direction so fast that I’m surprised he doesn’t topple over.

“Was she supposed to?” I counter as my blood pressure rises.

Dick shrugs as Dallas blows out a breath and intercepts Dick’s order from one of the other waitresses that just finished packaging it up from the kitchen. “I just thought you two were friends and you were there when I asked her out, so…”

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