Holding His Forever(13)
I walk over to him with my pot of coffee to refresh his drink, or maybe it’s just because I want to be near him again.
“He stares too f*cking much.” He says it loud enough for anyone to hear. He doesn’t appear to care. I feel heat hit my cheeks. I ignore his words. What can I say to that? Sam does stare too much, and I hate it, but I don’t think it’s against the law to stare.
“He always do that?” This time his words are soft and low and only for me. I just nod at his question. His jaw clenches. “He ever do anything else?” I just look down at him, not sure what to say. “Never mind. Don’t answer that or I’ll be out of this seat. Just finish your shift, angel.”
He gives me a warm smile, but I can tell it’s forced. I like that what Sam does pisses him off. That it bothers him. That someone seems to care and finds it not okay. Not like Tracy, who is only upset because she wants Sam’s attention, and I don’t even think it’s his attention she wants. More like his money, but Sam doesn’t seem like he’s loaded or anything, so I really don’t get it at all.
I go back to waiting on my tables and try to stay clear of Sam as much as I can. I don’t want there to be a problem. I just want to finish my shift and be done. I’m really going to have to find a new second job. This just isn’t working, and the tension and unease I’m feeling is only getting worse. It doesn’t matter at this point that I make the best tips here, I’m just going to have to find something else.
“Stay away from Sam,” Tracy growls next to me as I start a new batch of coffee. I look over at her, and if looks could kill I’d be six feet under.
“There is nothing between Sam and me,” I tell her. I don’t want to argue with her about it because it’s not worth fighting over. None of it is. It’s silly.
“Just watch yourself, or maybe I’ll go tell your flavor of the week over there about how you sleep around to get what you want.” I just stare at her. Do people even talk like that? Flavor? “Guess it doesn’t matter. Someone like that isn’t going to stick around with the likes of you,” she huffs before turning to leave with a smile pasted on her face like she just won something.
The woman is in her mid-fifties and is trying to fight over a man with me. I’m not ever fighting for Sam, but she’s trying to take me down a peg or two. And as much as I hate to admit it, the cuts sting a little.
I look down at my cheap waitress uniform that makes me itchy and irritates my skin. This one is even smaller than my normal one. This was all that was left, and I undoubtedly look like I’m stuffed into it. It really brings home how different Derek and I are. We’re from different worlds, but I hadn’t seen that. I’d just been lost in him.
I glance up and see it’s finally time to go. I counted my money earlier and saw that I’d made enough to cover a hotel room if need be. I’m done for the night. I make my way to the front to get Derek, a nervous excitement coursing through me. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.
I don’t know if I’m going home with him. I have to find a place to stay tonight, and it seems rude to just assume that I’ll go to his place. It would be even odder to ask him if he wants to go to whatever hotel I check into. My excitement starts to turn into anxiety. I’m not sure how to handle any of this.
Caught up in my thoughts, I run right into a wall of a man, and I know from his smell that it’s Derek. His hands go to my sides, making sure I don’t fall on my butt. I look up at him. Jesus, I’d have no idea what to do with this man if I went home with him. I want to. God, do I want to. But my experience with men is less than zero. Heck, I avoid them as much as I can.
“Careful,” he says, pulling me closer to him, his warmth seeping into me, going all the way to my bones.
“Fia, I need you in my office before you leave,” Sam yells across the diner, bringing me out of my Derek fog.
Derek makes no move to release me. Instead, his fingers sink deeper into my waist, his head starts to lower, and his mouth takes mine in a soft kiss. I easily open to him as his tongue enters my mouth. My body comes to life once again. I want to push further into him, but I’m already plastered to his front. When he pulls back, I’m breathless and have forgotten where I am or what I was doing. I didn’t know a kiss like that was possible.
“She can’t. My fiancée and I have plans.”
I’m so knocked by his words I don’t speak as he pulls me from the diner and shuffles me into a truck, quickly shutting the door behind me. When he enters the other side, he locks the doors before putting his key in the ignition and taking off.
“Fiancée?” I finally find my words. Derek’s hands grip the steering wheel so tightly I can see his knuckles turning white. He glances over at me like he is trying to read my face.
He just shrugs. Maybe he said it so Sam will leave me alone. If he thinks I’m with someone, he might back off. I don’t think that will work, but I know him a little better than Derek. I don’t think Sam will stop until he gets what he wants or I quit. I can feel it. I should have seen it before and paid better attention. Maybe I should have had a few job possibilities lined up and not let it get to this point.
“Has a nice ring to it,” he says, his little tease making my whole world tilt. His hands loosen on the steering wheel and he gives me a playful smile. I can’t help but blush and look away out the window.