Page 28 of Raging Inferno

Standing from the couch, she points to the phone in my hand.

“Call him,” she orders. “I’m going to take a nap. Mom picked up Chris and said she’ll drop him off after dinner.”

“Mom knows what happened?”

“No, she thinks you got a stomach bug,” she responds. I let her words sink in as I watch her start for the stairs and I know there is truth there. Jimmy was completely respectful from the moment he picked me up. Knowing the type of man, I was with, feeling some sort of connection to him as we got to know one another—it’s the very reason I flipped out.

“Amber?” I call as she reaches the stairs. Turning to me, she lifts an eyebrow in question. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” she says with a shake of her head. “Just let yourself be happy,” she pauses. “You deserve that much.”

I nod in response and watch her disappear up the stairs. Sitting back on the couch, I open the bottle of soda and take a few sips. My eyes dart to the breakfast sandwich and before I can doubt myself I reach for my phone. Pulling up Jimmy’s number, I press send and wait to hear his deep voice greet me.

“How are you feeling?” he says, not bothering with hello.

“Better,” I answer hoarsely. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Did you take the aspirin?” he questions ignoring me.

“Jimmy.”

“Melissa, there is nothing to apologize for. I liked being with you—I liked it a fuck of a lot.”

“Still, I’d like to explain,” I reply. Biting my lip, I eye the brown paper bag. “You brought me breakfast.”

“Did you eat it?”

“Not yet,” I admit, running my fingers through my hair. “My mother picked up my son for the day. If you’re not busy, let’s meet for lunch. My treat,” I suggest. He doesn’t respond immediately, causing me to wonder if he’s still interested. For all I know, Jimmy Casale is a man with manners and thought nothing of bringing me his hangover remedy.

“If you’re busy, it’s fine—”

“I’ve got work at four so let’s meet at the Unicorn diner in an hour. Does that work for you?”

“That’s perfect,” I murmur. Lifting my fingers to my lips, I realize I’m smiling and he’s the reason.

“See you then,” he says softly. “And Melissa?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m paying.” His tone leaves no room for argument and after we hang up, I make my way upstairs to the bathroom. I shower and when I dress, I don’t over analyze my clothing. Instead, I throw on my most comfortable pair of sweatpants and the first t-shirt I see. Sliding my feet into my sneakers, I twist my damp hair into a top knot before scribing a quick note to Amber, letting her know I went to meet Jimmy.

When I arrive at the diner he’s already there sipping a cup of coffee. His eyes find mine and he moves to stand but, I press a hand to his shoulder, forcing him back into his chair. Bending my head, I press my lips to his cheek and relish the flicker of surprise reflected in his eyes. Once I find my seat across from him, he leans forward and the lines around his eyes crinkle as he licks his lips.

“You’re looking better.”

“It’s amazing what a shower and a greasy sandwich can do for a girl,” I reply, offering him a smile. “I know you don’t want to hear it again, but, I’m sorry I ruined our date.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he insists, scratching his jaw. “You were pretty amusing.”

“I bet,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “It’s not every day a girl falls into your lap.”

“This is true,” he agrees with a smile. “But, I gotta tell you, I think I would’ve liked it better if you threw your panties at me.”

Closing my eyes, I bite back the groan.

“I remember that part,” I admit. The sound of his laughter forces my eyes back to him and I help myself to the pot of coffee on the table. “I also recall you asking me to tell you about myself.”

“I did but things got hairy before you got the chance to.”

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