Page 32 of Feuds and Interludes
“Shane,” I said, my only greeting. My hands were shaking as much from my fucked-up blood sugar as from my proximity to this infuriating man.
“Did you rest last night?—”
“Hey, Boone. I made the avocado spread you liked so much last time. Can I get you some?”
Felix, Morrison’s chef, was the only guy I trusted to feed me food that wasn’t the tried and true stuff I grew up with. Gran had catered to my picky-eater habits, much to Papa’s chagrin, and as a result, I had a hard time stepping out of my comfort zone. I needed to, now that I was diabetic, but I didn’t much like it, unless it was something made by Felix.
“Yes, please. With your homemade sourdough? I’m in heaven.”
Felix added a heaping serving of potatoes and a fried egg and then placed the food on my tray as he winked at me. “Anything for you. Hey, Shane, can I get you the avocado spread, or would you rather?—”
“That’s fine, thank you.”
Shane followed me over to the utensil and condiment cart and glanced at my plate. “Should you be having that many carbs?” He kept his voice low, and it was just the two of us, but his words raised my hackles.
“You don’t get to comment on my food, Shane. It’s none of your business.”
“It is too.” He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, making himself busy with the salt and pepper shakers. “You forget how I found you last night.”
“And I’d appreciate it if you would keep that to yourself,” I snapped.
Shane set his tray down and turned to face me. “My grandfather is diabetic. I’ve been cooking for him for years, so I know what the recommendations are, that’s all. It’s manageable if you?—”
“Thank you, but I can take care of myself.”
I tried walking away, but I heard him say, “Sure. Sure you can.” My hands tightened on the tray and I walked into the corner of a table in my rush to get away from him, banging my hip bone. My carefully constructed appearance of self-control wasn’t going to hold if he kept showing up. I set my tray down a little hard at the table next to Annie, and she jumped.
“Geez. What—oh. Was he being a jerk?”
I shook my head and concentrated on eating and keeping the tremor in my hand at bay. “No. It’s fine.” I didn’t need my band getting all protective over me. Annie had no qualms about speaking her mind. She was also the queen of revenge schemes. I’d been grateful for her when my previous relationship ended badly and she helped me fill his car with mouse traps. It was epic.
I listened to her and Bran talk about running into Dean and Tucker last night. “They invited us to go into town with them, but Rose wanted to color my hair. Doesn’t it look cool?”
I glanced up at Annie and sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I’m out of it. I love the color.”
She’d put blue highlights in her black hair, and they really popped under the lights in the mess hall. She and Brandon bothhad curly hair that they wore in organized chaos most of the time. Their father was Japanese and their mother was Black, so their hair required extra care.
My reddish-brown mop was still a nice color so I didn’t mess with dye, but who knew? Someday I might want a change.
“I promised Rose a manicure. Maybe tonight? You guys want to join in?”
They enthusiastically agreed, we finished eating, and that should have been the end of breakfast, but as we stood and headed over to dump our trays, we had to walk past their table. Shane was staring at me, and I was trying tonotstare at him whileactuallystaring at him, and therefore I missed Drew standing up and I walked right into him, which caused him to bump my tray, which smashed leftover avocado into my chest, and he spilled his travel mug full of hot coffee all down the front of me.
“Damn, Boone! I’m hella sorry, man.”
I stood there dripping while Annie hurried to take my tray, Shane jumped up, and Drew tried to clean my mess while apologizing all over himself.
“And you’re sick and all, I feel bad, let me get that?—”
“I’m fine!” I said in a louder-than-called-for voice—and everyone grew quiet. And stood there. Gaping.
Hoping to diffuse the situation, I turned to Annie. “You guys go ahead without me and I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”
They nodded and scurried out the door. Felix came out with a mop and bucket, and I just wanted to disappear.
“Here, let me,” I said to him, but he waved me away.
“No harm done, Boone. I got this.”
