Page 48 of Never Kiss and Tell

Bailey eyes me, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Did you bring me out here to kill me?” she asks when I open her door.

I brought her south, down by the bayou, for some authentic Cajun food. There’s nothing like Mama Jean’s, though it’s a little hole in the wall to most people.

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have just thrown you in the water on the way over here.”

Her eyes widen and she leans away from me, causing me to laugh. Despite her wariness, she takes my hand and lets me help her down out of the truck. I drop it as soon as she’s on her feet and lead her into the building.

Mama Jean’s is inside an old warehouse, abandoned after Katrina. The men that own it now converted it and cleaned it up on the inside, leaving the outside close to how it was after the storm.

Inside is full of locals from the town just down the road. Being the only restaurant in the area, the place gets a lot of business, especially with Mama Jean’s being situated right on the water. They specialize in fresh shrimp, oysters, and their seafood boil.

“Charlie,” Bianca smiles when we walk in. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” Bianca’s eyes filter over Bailey, who smiles. Bianca and I had a tryst, back in the day, but I’ll be damned if I tell Bailey that. We’re here for the food, not Bianca.

Bianca’s beautiful, with shining black hair and tanned long legs, but she has a disorder that causes her to sleep with anyone she can. I’d been young and dumb at the time, around twenty-two.

As soon as we arrive at our table, Bailey excuses herself to go to the restroom. Bianca takes the opportunity to scrutinize me, looking me up and down with her chocolate-colored eyes. I watch Bailey walk to the bathroom, my eyes zeroing in on the sway of her hips.

Jesus Christ.

“You look good,” she comments, laying the menus on the table in front of me, taking extra care to flash her tits in my face while she does. “Who’s the girl?”

I debate on which lie I should tell her. I can’t tell her truth. Hell, I don’t even know the truth myself.

“That’s none of your concern.”

The last thing I need is Bianca hunting Bailey down and tormenting her. I’ve seen the way women can be and I don’t want that happening to her.

“Don’t be like that,” Bianca murmurs, her voice soft and her eyes sad. “Are ya’ll together?”

Bailey returns, her eyes trained on a toddler across the room who’s waving at her. Bailey waves back, beaming. I can’t take my eyes off her. Bianca notices, too.

“I know that look . . .” Bianca says quietly, looking back at Bailey. “Brice used to look at me that way.”

Brice is Bianca’s now-husband, and one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met. He’s a drunk, and a violent one, at that. I can’t tell you how many times Bianca has called me to come pick her up when he was hitting her, throwing things at her. I’d stopped that since Mom died and I always have to remind myself that it’s not my job to save her.

“Sorry,” Bailey smiles, sliding into the booth opposite me.

“Two sweet teas and a triple.”

Bianca marks our order down on her clipboard and takes the menus from in front of us. Bailey sputters, watching after her as she leaves. She looks back at me, confused.

“I don’t even get to order?”

I shake my head.

“What if I don’t like the food?”

“You will.”

We stare at each other, neither of us willing to back down.

“Are you always this pushy?”

“Do you always talk this much?”

She rolls her eyes and flushes. “I get the feeling you like that I talk too much.”

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