Page 21 of Crush

“Shouldn’t you be over at the bar with your buddy playing beer pong,” Amber snarked. Her comment forced my grin to surface. She was a pro with the insults and always made me feel less than worthy. Like some type of oaf, or a buffoon; something she had labelled me in the past. Amber’s beer-pong comment wasn’t way off the mark. Those types of games were played by pissed-up teenage students, which wasexactlyhow I had been behaving. I blamed the booze.

Amber started to fan herself with a menu. I felt like saying, am I making you hot and bothered sunshine?

“Bit rude isn’t he, leaving you here with me?”

“You’re unbelievable. He only took the call toescapeyou. So, it’s your fault he’s out there to start with.”

“Why is it my fault?” I said with mock offence.

She wrinkled her nose. “You’ve probably scared him off now.”

I puffed up my chest and shot her a cheeky grin. “I’m reallythatterrifying, why thank you. I’m glad you’ve noticed.”

“Not because of that. Due to your stupid rule about colleagues not fraternising. Which is a bullshit rule. You havenocontrol over what people do outside of office hours.”

“Really?” I drawled lazily, steepling my fingers and watching her over the top.

“Yes, really. Look, he’s coming back now and so I’ll say goodnight,” she burst out.

I gave her a smug grin. “Good, it’s for the best.” Playing Amber at her own game and misunderstanding her on purpose. I was being such an immature cock but I couldn’t stop myself.

I leaned over to take another fry and she swatted my hand. It was like a tiny bug hitting the back of it. “Not tohim, toyou.Leave us alone,” she whisper-shouted.

I injected a thread of steel into my voice. “Remember what I said. You don’t want all the lads talking about you. Locker room mentality and all that.”

My comment fell on deaf ears as she plastered a huge smile on her face and looked past me.

Hopton appeared, looking flustered as he came to stand beside his now-occupied seat. “Oh, err sorry. Do you two need another minute?” he said looking back and forth between us.

Amber’s expression was stony as she glared across the table, her mouth a thin line.

I stood slowly, grinding my molars as I husked, “No, I’ll say goodnight. Remember what I said, Amber.”

Towards the end of my sentence, I forced a smile and turned away. It was hard. I could see Gabe watching the show from his seat at the bar. What the hell was that grating feeling? I was desperate to look back. Were they fucking? And why did the thought of that wind me up so much? The wordminevibrated through me.

“What did she say?” Gabriel questioned, trying to read my face. I took the glass of clear liquid he held out and necked it before slamming the glass on the bar.

“What do you mean?” I replied, my skin suddenly felt too tight for my body.

“You should see your face. You look like you need to smash something.”

“If hedoestake her home, I just hope he keeps his mouth shut,” I said partly to myself before blurting. “I swear if I hearanycrap about her at work, I’ll knock the fucker’s teeth out.”

Gabriel choked on his drink and then wiped his mouth with his hand, casting a sly glance behind my shoulder towards the pair.

“Why do youcareso much?”

“She’s acting like thattoolis boyfriend material when he isn’t.” I bit the inside of my cheek, the metallic taste of blood filtering into my mouth.

Gabriel shrugged, “So who gives a shit?”

“I also told her father I’d look out for her,” I explained.

“Believe me, I’ve met the girl and she didn’t come across as someone who would fall for the usual line. You and your pity party should back the hell off.”

“Either way, I feel responsible.” An image of me headbutting Rory Hopton shot a thrill up my spine. Shit, what was happening to me? I was a fully grown man and was acting like a love-sick kid.

Gabe snorted. “You’re so full of it,responsible? You can’t evenspellthe fricking word. So, you wading in there is purely down to a sense of duty you feel towards her dad?”

---