Sudden Response (EMS #1)(10)

"Damn straight," Eric said, saluting her with his half eating roll.

Chapter 5

"Eric, why don't you sit over here?" Alice asked, gesturing towards the empty seat next to Camie.

Eric kept his smile pleasant. "I'm fine where I am. Besides, I wouldn't want to interfere with your time with your friend."

His mother scowled in his direction. He didn't care. He came here to spend with his family and meet his brother's new girlfriend, not be set up with an ice bitch, who was now sending glares at Joe every time she thought no one was looking.

Seriously where the hell did his mother find these women? The last one she brought over had just separated from her husband and wouldn't stop bawling throughout the entire meal. Did she really think he was desperate?

"But-" Alice started to argue their seating arrangements.

"I'm already settled, mom. Everyone is. Let's just eat, shall we? This smells too good to let get cold," he said, gesturing to the platter of pot roast and large serving bowls of side dishes.

Camie smiled coyly as she stood up. "I can just move over there if you want. I'm sure your mother just wants to have a chance to sit next to Joe," she said, starting around the table to his side.

His smile became tight as he reached out and snagged Joe's arm just as she set down the large pitchers of water and ice tea on the table.

"Hey!" she said, slightly stumbling under his grip.

Eric ignored her squeaks of protest and yanked her ass down in the seat next to him. Camie paused mid-step, throwing Joe a glare that by all rights should have killed her on the spot.

Joe took one look at his expression and smiled sweetly, too damn sweetly. "You know what, if you want this seat I don't mind. I'd love to catch up with Nathan and Caitlyn," she said, starting to get up.

He put his arm around her and hauled her back down, keeping her firmly in place. Keeping his tone and expression light he said, "But you and I really need to talk."

"No we don't," she said, trying to get up again. She really was enjoying screwing with him too much, but after what he tried to pull with Greg last night she didn't feel too bad.

"Sure we do," he said, holding her firmly in place with one arm while he started spooning food onto their plates. "We really should discuss our trip tomorrow."

Caitlyn smiled. "You're going on a trip tomorrow?"

Eric said, "Yes," the same time Joe said, "No."

"I'm going on a trip tomorrow. Eric's inviting himself along," Joe clarified.

Nathan snorted. "Since when does he need an invite? You guys go everywhere and do everything together. I think it's pretty much assumed at this point that where one of you goes the other will follow."

Camie looked murderous. Joe seriously wondered where Alice found these women and thanked god that she never tried to set her up. The prospects were truly frightening.

Joe scoffed as Eric ladled gravy on her potatoes the way she liked it, perfectly in the middle with none of it spilling over. "That's not even remotely true. We have lives outside of our friendship."

Nathan scooped mashed potatoes onto his plate as he said, "Name one major thing either one of you did without the other present or a vacation or even a small trip you took without the other."

Eric chuckled lightly. "I've done plenty of things without Joe there and I can assure you I haven't been with her for everything she did either."

"Name one thing and I will give you each a hundred dollars," Nathan said smugly.

Joe and Eric shared a look as they both thought it over. Joe started with the big events in life, the simple things to remember. There was the time she lost her virginity, but Eric had been in the car several spots over doing the same thing so that didn't technically count. First kiss was out too since Eric was the one to give it to her on a dare. Driver's license? Graduation? EMT training? First job?

Shit!

"Oh, I got one!" Eric announced. "The night I got engaged," he said, looking at Nathan with his hand out.

Joe winced.

Nathan laughed.

Alice sighed.

Camie looked pissed at the mention of Eric being engaged to another woman, which was seriously getting creepy since she'd only met him less than an hour ago.

Caitlyn smiled sweetly.

"Pay up, sucker."

"Ah, Eric?" Joe said.

"What? We won," he said, looking victorious.

Nathan chuckled. "Oh, no you didn't."

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I did," Eric said, looking and sounding confused.

"Ah, Eric, he's right. I was there. Remember?"

He didn't look like he did.

She sighed. "Remember the three of us were at the club over on Wilmington and you and I were dancing and Beth kind of had a meltdown about that and you jokingly offered to marry her to shut her up. Remember?"

Alice gasped. "You proposed as a joke?"

He shrugged. "I would have gone through with it I guess. She was a good cook."

"You guess?" Alice repeated in shock. "I thought you loved her?"

He winced.

"Eric Parish, do not tell me you were going to marry some poor girl because she was a good cook."

"Why else?" he said with a cocky grin. Joe rolled her eyes. The man really enjoyed teasing his mother too much. Not that it wasn't the truth. Eric didn't believe in romantic love, lust? Yes, but not the kind of love that lasted forever.