Page 29 of The Arrogant's Redemption

“I don’t have friends, remember?”

“I didn’t meanactualfriends.”

“Oh.” He meant aboyfriend. “No. I’m going to a celebration with myself.”

“What does that look like?”

“Your fish is going to get cold.”

“Answer me.”

“I’m getting an ice cream cone and walking along the boardwalk to celebrate my rescue.”

“You were kidnapped?”

“No. My rescue from the orphanage. Have a great dinner, Mr. Jasper,” I say, bolting before I say something more.

Jesus, what is it about this man that makes me babble like an idiot? I don’t usually talk this much about myself.

“Badger, is it okay if another waiter closes out table twelve?” I ask as soon as I walk back into the kitchen.

“I don’t mind. But your crush probably will.”

“He’s not mycrush. He lives in another dimension, and I’ve got both feet planted firmly on the ground.”

Alexis

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

After my extremely maturespeech to my boss, you'd expect all my neurons to be firing at full capacity.

I should change out of my uniform into casual clothes and slip out the back door, sticking to my “bold yet lonely” plan of getting a scoop of the best ice cream in Massachusetts.

Is that what I do? No.

As if something has taken over my judgment, I cross the restaurant floor and head toward the man who's stirring chaos inside me.

Like a panther watching everything around him, he observes my approach. I notice he’s barely touched his food, and I wonder if it’s because of me—because I know the sea bass is delicious. I had it for lunch today.

"You haven’t even closed my check, and yet you're already leaving," he says without an ounce of politeness or an attempt to hide that he's scanning my body—not in my uniform now, but in a flowy, floral summer dress.

"I’m sorry," I apologize sincerely, embarrassed by my childish move to flee just because I feel attracted to him.

No, let’s be more accurate. Wildly attracted is closer to the truth.

Because here I am again, near the lion's den.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you hand off my table to someone else?"

"Because you make me nervous. And since you asked me a personal question, I feel entitled to do the same: why didn’t you eat your food?"

"I like to give one thing my full attention. I don’t just go through life obliviously; I study every little thing in it that catches my interest. I tasted the fish. I have to agree, it’s excellent. But it doesn’t compare to you."

"I’m more excellent than the fish?" I tease, understanding exactly what he meant but enjoying the exchange between us.

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