Page 56 of Bloom: Part 1

“Yes. And brought me home. Besides you, he’s the most important person to me.”

“I see.” A twinge of jealousy pierced the indifferent armor I’d been wearing for too long.

“Ahem, sir. Are you ready to order?”

Damn, I’d forgotten we were in a restaurant. That I’d come here to have dinner with Nicholas. Where the hell was Nicholas?

“Sir?”

“Give us a minute more, please. I’ll signal you when we’re ready.”

“Very well.” The waiter stomped away, but I didn’t blame him. All we could do was leave him a generous tip for all the trouble. I picked up my phone.

“Who’re you calling?”

“Nicholas was supposed to meet me. Right before you came in, he said he was parking, so he should have been here already. Did he see us together and leave?” Nicholas’s phone rang without a response. “Something is wrong.”

“Like what?” Bloom’s facial reaction was odd. He looked like he was holding something in. Had he run into Nicholas?

James.

“What did you do?”

“Me?” He raised his eyebrows as if surprised I was incriminating him.

“Don’t give me that innocent act. What did you do?”

“Nothing. He’s outside in his car.”

Oh, then… wait a minute. “Where in his car?”

“The trunk.”

“You locked him in his trunk?” I sprang to my feet, blood rushing to my head. This impulsive boy was going to get himself put behind bars.

“I was going to let him out after we had dinner.”

“No, we’ll let him out now.”

I prodded Bloom to his feet.

“Sir, are you leaving?” The server rushed over to us, looking confused.

“Yes.” No sense in staying now. Our presence wasn’t wanted, and the bread I’d eaten would hold me until we could getsomething else. This wasn’t where I wanted my first date with Bloom anyway.

I reached for my wallet, but the waiter waved me away. “That’s fine, sir. I think it’s best for everyone if you just go.”

Bloom went rigid beside me. I grabbed his wrist and held on to him. He leaned into me, pouting. “Are you always going to try to tame me?” he asked as we walked out of the restaurant to a round of applause. I groaned. As a respectable member of this community, I never had anything like this happen. As if we’d been chased out. Bloom only made it worse by firing the finger over his shoulder.

Good god, how much would he change my life? Would it be worth it?

He tilted his head, and his beauty hit me hard in the gut. It was shallow maybe, but he was fucking hot, especially dressed in black. There was something about the way the color complimented his paleness. “I’ll keep trying.”

“Even if it’s a waste of time?”

“Even then. I don’t believe you’re wired to be a killing machine. Now which car did you stuff my date in?”

15

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