Page 23 of Puck'n Bully
Maybe if I keep ignoring him, he’ll get the hint and leave me alone.
Loud footsteps come from behind me, alerting me to his presence.
“I didn’t know you were working here tonight, Liam,” he says, his lips brushing against my ear.
A shudder goes through me. Doing my best to keep my expression neutral, I turn around to face Hayden.
At this point, I don’t know whether the universe is punishing me or Hayden is just stalking me. How the hell does he know about my shift at the diner?
With no other option, I pull up my notepad. “What can I get you?”
“Give me your best milkshake, Liam,” he says, dragging his gaze from my face all the way to my navel.
My face heats up while a slow, amused grin spreads on Hayden’s lips.
“Can you behave?!” I hiss at him.
He chuckles. “What? I can’t order a milkshake at a diner?”
I rub my forehead, lost at what to say. “Fine. What kind of milkshake do you want?”
“Surprise me.”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip to stop the curse on the tip of my tongue.
Hayden’s shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. The asshole’s enjoying himself. “What’s your favorite, Liam?” he asks, leaning in close.
“Chocolate,” I grate through clenched teeth.
“Sweet,” he replies, his grin widening. “Just like you.”
An overwhelming urge to throw my notepad at his head comes over me.
He’s a student, I grudgingly remind myself and stomp off to the kitchen.
“Your face is too red, Meyers,” Maggie, the head cook, says to me. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just a hot day,” I say, tearing a page off my notepad. “One chocolate milkshake for table six.”
“I’m on it,” Maggie says, going back to her station.
Even though I should be heading back to the dining room to wait for new customers, I decide to hide here. Hayden’s out there, probably waiting to pounce on me.
To my agony, the milkshake is ready within minutes.
Picking up the tray, I go back to the dining area, hoping for some new customers. That way, I’d have an excuse to stay away from Hayden.
As I step out into the dining area, I realize luck isn’t on my side. The diner is still mostly empty. Looking toward Hayden’s table, I see he’s not alone. Liz, the owner, is sitting with him and chuckling at something he’s saying.
My pulse races the moment Hayden’s gaze falls on me. The tray in my hands shakes, warning me to focus on the task at hand.
Taking a deep breath, I walk to the table and set down the glass of chocolate milkshake.
“Did you know Liam is tutoring me?” Hayden says before I can get the hell out of there.
Liz’s heavily mascara-lined lashes flutter at me. “Oh, I thought you were a student yourself.”
“I’m a Physics graduate,” I remind her. “That makes me eligible to tutor undergrads and help them with math and science-related stuff. Also, the job pays, so I’m happy to do it.”
