A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2)(6)

“This is Elise,” Abe tells him, setting the skillet down with a clack. “She’s new, so tip her well.”

“It took close to a half hour to get my—”

Abe leans in, his hands on either side of the table. “I said tip her well, Carl. We wouldn’t want to scare her away.”

My mouth opens as I’m about to tell them that it’s fine, I really don’t deserve a tip, but Carl reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a five-dollar bill and tosses it onto the tabletop. He glares at Abe, but says nothing else before taking a spoonful of guacamole and slopping it onto his chicken.

Abe grabs the money off the table. “Thanks,” he responds brightly, turning to hand it to me. I take it awkwardly, shooting a cautious glance at Carl, who seems to have already forgotten that we exist as he shoves food into his mouth.

“Now,” Abe says, putting his hand on my arm to lead me away, “I’m taking a fifteen-minute break. Come with?”

“Won’t we get in trouble?” I ask.

“I never get in trouble.” He grins. “Meet me out back in five?”

I nod, and then Abe strolls across the dining room. Several women lift their gazes to watch him, and by his nonreaction I guess that Abe is probably used to it. Following his cue, I leave the room, stopping to grab my phone from my purse.

I see that I’ve missed two calls from the “old man” already and roll my eyes. I find my way to the back door, slipping through into the parking lot. It’s quiet, the air humid with the promise of rain as I lean against the outer wall of the building. Since Abe’s not here yet, I decide to check in with my dad and ask if he knows what could have possibly caused my hallucinations.

“Technically,” my father says as a way of answering the phone, “I called before your shift started, so you can’t yell at me for bothering you during work.”

I’m immediately comforted by the sound of his voice. “What could possibly be on your mind that you had to call twice?” I ask. “I’m a mile and a half away.”

“I was wondering if you’ve seen your sister,” he says. “I know you’re partners in crime, but I’m worried. You have her car, right?”

My heartbeat quickens, sure that he knows about last night. “I did borrow it, but she was home when I left. Have you called her twice?” I ask.

“Three times.”

“Huh. I don’t know, then. I’m sure she just forgot her phone somewhere.” I’m surprised that Lucy isn’t answering. It’s unlike her to purposely worry our father. She prefers to commit her acts of rebellion in secret when possible. But my sister is the least of my concerns right now.

“Actually,” I say. “I wanted to ask you—”

Abe pokes his head out of the back door then, looking around until he sees me. He smiles and walks out, holding two cups. I don’t want Abe to hear about my brush with the unexplained, so I turn away to talk into the phone.

“I have to go,” I say quickly to my father. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.”

“Home by eleven—”

I hang up and shove the phone into the pocket of my black pants. Abe comes to stand next to me, passing a soda in my direction. “Sorry about that,” I say.

“Boyfriend?” he asks, taking a sip from his drink.

“No. Father.”

His mouth quirks up. “What a sweet girl you are.”

“I try.”

We’re quiet for a few minutes as the darkened parking lot of Santo’s continues to empty. My shift is nearly over, and I’m glad. I’m exhausted from being on my feet all night.

“So,” Abe says, turning to me. “Do you want to hang out after work? I’m going to a party.”

I smile. The idea of going out with him is more than a little tempting. “Thanks,” I say. “But I can’t. My dad’s on high alert right now because my sister is a rebel without a cause. He wants me home by eleven.”

“Eleven? Reminds me of when I was in kindergarten,” Abe says, pretending to be nostalgic.

“Shut up,” I say. “It’s not that bad.”

“It’s pretty bad. Straight home from work? Is he a police officer? Are you under house arrest?”

“Nope. He’s a pastor.”

Abe snorts back a laugh. “Of course he is.”

“Hey!” I push his shoulder playfully. “My dad is cool.”

“As are most overprotective pastor fathers,” he says, like it’s an obvious fact. “I bet you have to bring home all of your dates to meet him first, right?”

“No,” I say, not mentioning the fact that I’ve never been on a date.

“Really?” he asks. “With a beautiful creature like you under his roof I’d think he’d bar the doors and windows.”

“Nope, just a curfew,” I say, a small catch in my voice at being called beautiful. I feel Abe’s dark gaze studying me, and when I turn to him, he bumps his shoulder into mine.

“Come out anyway,” he whispers. “Be bad with me, Elise.”

I laugh, thinking he’s all kinds of adorable. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have to talk to my father about what happened to me. So my workplace romance will have to wait. “Another time, maybe,” I say instead.