Page 6 of Drive Me Crazy
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
She snapped her head around and met my gaze. “I guarantee if you called that restaurant right now and asked if they were hiring they’d say yes. Getting told to fill out an application is the equivalent of being told to get lost.”
“Why’d you do it then?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t leave me alone until I did.”
“Fair enough.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Okay, so the places we went are run by judgmental prudes. Where do you want to work?”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean. What places do you like to go to around town?”
“There is one place that always treats me well.”
“Great, let’s go there.”
I wondered what category I fit into. Had I been one of the assholes that had treated her badly? There’d been no subtlety to my opinion about her job. Did she know that wasn’t because I thought less of her? The very opposite, actually. I thought too much of her.
She gave me directions, and as we drove out to the far east side of town, I was eager to shake the hand of whoever had been nice enough to not make her feel like a prostitute. I was also eager to go back to every place we’d been today and give them a piece of my mind. If I had to kick my own ass, I would. My thoughts drifted to Nathan. Had he known she’d been getting treated like a leper around town?
“I should have known,” I mumbled as she directed me to pull into the parking lot of Big John’s.
“Live a little,” she dared, jumping out of the truck before I’d even turned off the engine.
Big John’s was an adult store. I hadn’t been in it myself, but I’d been in enough stores like it when I was younger. Giant neon letters in hot pink and electric blue on the shop’s sign burned obscenely bright even in the afternoon sun. The parking lot was empty. Thank God.
Naomi threw her arms around a big, burly older man. She was happier than I could remember seeing her.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite customer,” the man said as he stepped back and smiled down at her.
I’ll bet.
“Who’s this? Finally settle down and get a nice boyfriend, Naomi?”
She laughed, and I wanted to kiss the humor right out of her.
“John this is Grady. He was Nathan’s best friend and has named himself my new protector.” She rolled her eyes.
John looked me up and down with a smile, but to his credit, he kept his thoughts to himself.
“Nice to meet you, Grady.”
I stepped forward and extended a hand. “Likewise. Quite a store you got here.”
“Got a whole room of videos and magazines in the back.” He tilted his head to the rear of the store.
“Thanks, I’m just here for her.”
“Any new clothes since last week?” she asked, pointing toward a rack of lingerie filled with pleather and nylon.
“Sure are. Take a look at the far end. I think you’re going to like them.”
Naomi bounced off, and John and I were left in an awkward silence.
“So, Grady, what do you do?”
“I work at the fire station.”
