Page 40 of Dirty News
I hoped I wouldn’t, but who can predict the things you’ll do until it happens toyou?
My one serious boyfriend and I had ended things amicably. There had been no spark at all. When he’d told me he thought we’d make better friends than lovers, I was surprised that it didn’t hurt. I’d agreed with him, and that was that. No hard feelings. But that was because there were no real feelingsanyway.
I knew I had feelings for Duke. That was part of the reason I thought we should end the things before they could get more serious. But after spending a very romantic evening with him, learning more about him than simply how fast he liked his cock to be ridden, I found I couldn’t just stop what was happening betweenus.
The café was near the station and Artimus came in, followed by Ashton and Duke. All three waved at us then headed to sit on the other side of the place. Then in walked the receptionist for the main lobby. She went to sit with themen.
Nina and I watched her shake her ass as she went to sit down, taking the seat to the right of Duke. Her eyes raked over him, taking him in as he sat there in a dark brown suit that made him look a little too damngood.
“What the hell is going on there?” Nina asked. “Why would those three have Gretchen with them? Like,ever?”
My jaw was clenched tightly, and my teeth squeaked as I ground them together. There was that jealousyagain.
Duke wasn’t looking at me. He wasn’t looking at Gretchen, either, but why was he avoidingme?
Was this how it was going to be with us? In the same room, pretending the other didn’t matter atall?
And what was with him having lunch with other women, anyway? Was that allowed in what we weredoing?
I mean, I knew we hadn’t made a commitment to each other. Nothing had ever been said about not dating anyone else. Not that Duke was on a date with the bimbo, but what was he doing, eating at a table with anotherwoman?
And why did I care so much? Jealousy wasn’t an emotion I was accustomed to, but I couldn’t stop myself from getting angry—no matter how irrational I knew I was being. Men and women could have lunch together without it being a bigdeal.
But at the same time, I had to ask, how would he like it if he found me eating with someguy?
He’d hate it. I knew that for sure. So why was he doingit?
I decided to give the man a chance to explain things to me, and excused myself to go to the ladies’ room. My eyes were on him the whole time I walked toward their table. But he never looked atme.
I knew he could feel me staring a hole in him, so what the hell was hedoing?
My heels clicked across the floor as I passed the table, and finally he looked at me. “Hi, MissBanks.”
My jaw still clenched, I held up a hand to wave hello to him and the other men. I looked toward the bathroom, hoping he’d understand that I wanted him to come back there so we couldtalk.
The bathrooms were located behind a wall, and that would give us some privacy. I waited in the hallway for several minutes, but he never came. Peeking around the corner to see what the hell he was doing, I found he was still sittingthere.
My hands balled into fists at my sides as I headed back to my table. On the way back, Duke ignored me again. When I sat down, I found Nina looking a little bit pissed,too.
She was glaring at the back of Gretchen’s head. “I haven’t liked that girl since I first mether.”
“I hadn’t even noticed her, to be honest. But now that she’s sitting there with those three men, she’s awfully animated, isn’t she?” I watched her lean over to put her purse on the floor in an over-the-top move that put her cleavage on full display for anyone interested in taking agander.
My eyes were trained on Duke’s to see if he’d take that bait. Thankfully, he didn’t, and his eyes stayed on Ashton as the two spoke about something. But Artimus was watching her. And he didn’t look at all happy about what she wasdoing.
I began to wonder if she was a relative of his or something, because she was the only member of the staff who didn’t seem to be taking the sexual harassment course seriously. Did she think she could do anything she wanted because she was the boss’s niece orsomething?
If she was a relative of his, then I could see Artimus inviting her to join them for lunch. If not, then I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t imagine she’d had a chance to become friends with any one of them sofar.
Nina’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Ashton. “I’ve got to go. I have an appointment with thedoctor.”
“Are you okay?” I asked her, because she seemed to be fine tome.
“Yeah, just getting my yearly lady inspection out of the way.” She cut her eyes at me. “Hey, have you found yourself a gyno in the cityyet?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “No, notyet.”
“If you’re not busy, you should come with me. My doctor is the best, and I think she’s taking new patients right now. She also takes the insurance we have. The co-pay ischeap.”
