Page 9 of The B!tch List

“I had planned on it. Although,” he said, scratching behind his ear and throwing his briefcase into the trunk of his car. “Mom is out of town planning a wedding and Lily is sitting for Jacob, so I did consider going to Delphine’s for an early dinner.”

“Well, the fried chicken at Stars & Stripes is pretty good if you want to join me for a beer.”

Tate considered it for a second and then nodded. “Why not. Thanks, Shaw.”

I waited as he locked up his car and then we both made the short walk to Stars & Stripes. It was only half past seven and pretty quiet, but I knew it would fill up later. Wednesday nights were not only fried chicken night, but quiz night too. A couple of the teams that I knew played were already there, by eight the place would be busy.

Tate took a seat at the bar and picked up the menu. “What’s good?” he asked. “I know you said fried chicken but the pieces, the wings or the burger?”

“It’s all amazing,” I replied sitting next to him. “It’s Billy the chef’s own recipe.”

“Okay, I’ll try the pieces then.” Tate looked over to Penny, whose bar it was, and lifted a hand. She smiled back and held up one finger to indicate she’d be a minute. “You going to join me?” he asked.

I glanced at my watch knowing that Mom would have made a start on dinner. The chicken was amazing though.

“Yeah, why not. I’ll take the pieces too.” I then pulled my phone from my pocket and shot a text to Mom.

Shaw:Having a bite to eat with Tate. Don’t worry about dinner for me

I’d only just put it back in my pocket when it beeped with an incoming text.

Mom:Is he giving you a raise? Make sure you get vegetables. Austen is staying home tonight. Do you think you could talk to him about sex when you get back?

Groaning I quickly replied.

Shaw:No. Okay. Not a chance!

I then put my phone on silent knowing that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from responding.

“Okay?” Tate asked.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Just my mom riding my ass about vegetables and my little brother’s sex life.”

Tate’s brows rose and he huffed out a surprised laugh. “Really?”

“Yeah. She thinks he’s sleeping with three different girls and wants me to talk to him about it.”

“And say what?” Tate grinned. “I remember my sixteen-year-old self and if I’d been getting action from three different girls, I’d have thought my dick and balls were made of fucking gold and maybe tried for number four.”

I laughed and smiled as Penny approached us.

“Hi, boys,” she said cheerily. “What can I get you?”

Tate ordered us beers and chicken pieces with French fries—hey, they’re potatoes and potatoes are a vegetable. He then turned back to me and finally pulled off his necktie before stuffing it into his pocket.

“Does your mom think you’ll dissuade him from sleeping around?”

“I have no idea.” I shrugged. “But I’m not going to talk to him about it. Other than checking he’s bagging. That’s one problem he doesn’t need while he’s still at high school. I’m pretty sure he is though, I spotted him buying a box only last week and I’d already given him a jumbo box last year.”

“Good to know,” Tate replied and pushed one of the beers that Penny had placed on the bar toward me. “As the child of an unplanned pregnancy, I can honestly say that is not a road your brother wants to go down.”

“Talking of, how is your dad getting on in Jefferson Correctional?”

Tate gave a lobsided grin. “Oh, he’s loving it. And boy the fucking irony that he’s in a Florida facility called Jefferson.”

We both laughed. Jefferson was the name of his mom’s man.

“He’ll probably be out in another year, but they could throw away the key for all I care.”

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