Page 54 of Outside The Wire

“So, what do you think?” the woman asked.

“I think I see my girlfriend,” I said as my lips twitched in amusement.

“Girlfriend? But?—”

I didn’t stick around to listen to another word she said. I headed down the aisle and stopped beside her only long enough to pull her into my arms and lay one hell of a kiss on her. She giggled against me as I tugged on her braid. She was so fucking cute in this hat.

“So, you’re following me now?”

“Only when you sneak out of bed on me.”

“Yeah? Did you put a tracker on my phone or did you just take a wild guess I would be here at this time?”

“Well, I went to your house first and then to every grocery store within ten miles of your house until I found the right one.”

“You did not,” I grinned.

“Of course I didn’t. You’re so predictable. You like to do your grocery shopping at the same time every week.”

“You haven’t known me that long,” I retorted.

“I’ve known you long enough. Besides…”

I waited for her to say something else, and when she didn’t, I motioned her on. “Yes?”

“I have nothing else to say. I just thought it would sound better if I said besides. Like I had some other reason for knowing you so well. I thought maybe you would interrupt me and then I wouldn’t have to come up with a reason.”

“And I didn’t.”

“Nope. So, I guess I look like a fool once again.”

“I’ll take it?—”

“No!” a female voice cried out.

I jerked my head to the right and stepped back slightly from Holly. Noelle was standing not five feet from us, glaring at us with an intensity that made my balls think about crawling up inside me.

“No, what?” Holly asked.

“No, this is not happening. Look, you have control of the store and your house and his house. But this grocery store is off-limits. It’s mine. You can’t come in here and do your cutesy thing in here.”

“Our what?” I asked.

“You know what. That thing you were doing when I walked around the corner. Smooching and smiling at each other, all lovey-dovey. You make me want to gag. This is not the place for kissing and groping. This is a place for shopping. Okay? People buy groceries here. They do not come here to see you all happy and shit. No one needs that at…” She looked at her watch and sighed. “Eleven o’clock in the morning!”

“Is that too early for you?” I asked. “Should we come back around two? Would that be better for you?”

“Never would be better. I hereby declare this grocery store a kiss-free zone. There will be no hand-holding. No kissing. No public displays of affection of any kind here. I don’t even want to see you two smiling at each other!”

“What if he says something funny?” Holly asked.

Noelle raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, suddenly he’s a funny man? He’s got all the jokes now? I thought he was sweet and kind and special. Would you like to change that?”

“Maybe he’s all those things and funny.”

“I can be funny,” I said.

Noelle slowly turned to me and her nostrils flared. “I still have my sewing kit.”

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