Page 13 of Raspberry Cake
“I am?”
“Yeah, we’ll show you a good time.”
“You can’t say shit like that,” another one said—was it Lukas? Fuck, he was bad at names.
“Why not?”
“Because it sounds like you’re sucking his dick.”
Miguel only blinked while everyone laughed, so Renley offered, “Shame, I would have been down to have agood timewith you.”
Laughter turned into howling, and the blush over Miguel’s cheeks continued over his bald head. “I meant food.”
“That’s what we’ll tell everyone,” Renley teased further, even going so far as to wink at the man.
When the group suggested that Eveline join them, he found somewhere else to be. Maybe Shannon had been right all along: he shouldn’t have turned to escorting. He wasn’t mad at her. God, Eveline was far from at fault for this mess. She could’ve denied him employment, yet here he was, entirely at her mercy while their night together played like an endless movie in his head.
He took out his frustrations on the wall he’d been assigned to demolish and when that didn’t work entirely, he drove straight to the gym. That was how he spent his week.
The more reality settled in the more he thought about the worst-case scenarios. Maybe Eveline would resent her decision and fire him after all. And if she came to the night out as she’d said she would, he was even more fucked. He’d tried to make excuses not to go, but nothing he said seemed to be easing the pressure. Not even when he told them he couldn’t afford it.
When he stood in front of the restaurant, already thirty minutes late, he just couldn’t bring himself to walk inside. Finally deciding to leave, he spun on his heel—and nearly stumbled over Eveline.
“Shit! I’m sorry.”
She only laughed, her bright green eyes seeming to reflect the sun, even after it had long gone down. “Not going inside?”
He stared for a moment, then shook his head. “I forgot something in my truck.”
Her smile didn’t fade as he stepped aside and let her pass. “I’ll see you in there.”
He let out a frustrated groan, and ran back to his truck, pretending to grab the invisible item he’d forgotten, while he centred his thoughts. He already had a bad feeling about this night, and that intuition only worsened when he entered the restaurant to find the alcohol already flowing. He was introduced to everyone’s families and then convinced to get a beer. He sat back mostly focusing on his food and trying to ignore those intoxicating laughs from across the table.
Perhaps it was because she was forbidden fruit, but he swore that her voice was the only one he could hear. After a while, everything quieted. A few families with kids left but as he tried to make his escape with them, a hand tugged him toward the bar and shoved a shot in his palm—then another, and another.
When he returned to the empty table, desperate for something that wasn’t booze, his head spun. He let himself plop into his seat and ran his hand over his face. “Fuck.”
“You can tell them no.”
Now he was dizzy for more than one reason. There she was, utterly breathtaking in a dress that showed far too much cleavage to be safe around his drunk ass. “It doesn’t seem like it.”
Chuckling, Eveline poured him a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. “They do this to every new guy.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the only one with alcohol in my glass.”
She shook her head and snatched a roll from the basket. “Have they been nice otherwise?”
“Other than trying to give me alcohol poisoning? Yes.” He took a sip of water, graciously accepting the piece of bread shehanded him. “Why did they tell you to leave your wallet at home?”
“Because if I don’t, I’ll pay for their food, and they don’t like that very much.” Then with a mischievous grin, she added, “But they can’t stop me from paying for the kids.”
“Maybe they are drunk after all.” Then the alcohol took over. “Please don’t fire me.”
“I’m not going to fire you because you get drunk on your down time.”
“I know you wouldn’t fire me forthat.”
“I’m not going to fire you at all, Renley.”
