Chasin' Eight (Rough Riders #11)(55)

“What, pray tell, is a supper club?”

“You eat on one side and there’s entertainment and a bar on the other side. Something you’d be interested in?”

“Aren’t you afraid we’ll be recognized?”

He probably deserved that, since he’d purposely made them keep a low profile this first week on the road. “If you don’t wanna go, Hollywood, just say so.”

Ava rose to her three-inch height advantage and crowded him. “I just asked a question, McKay, so don’t get snippy.”

“Men don’t get snippy. Men get pissy.”

She poked him in the chest. “Fine. Don’t get pissy.”

“Fine. So is that a yes or a no?”

“Yes. What am I supposed to wear?”

Her long legs were encased in tight jeans. She wore a fluttery top with silver and blue swirls that reminded him of the ocean. “You look great right now.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I don’t have a bit of makeup on, my hair is in a clip and I’m wearing flip-flops.”

“You’re tryin’ not to call attention to yourself, remember? You get all fancied up, looking like the Hollywood star you are, and we’ll draw more notice.” He pushed up on his toes and kissed her forehead. “Besides, you don’t need none of that junk anyway. You always look beautiful.”

“Such sweet bullshit,” she mimicked. “How soon before you’re ready to leave?”

“As soon as I get my boots on.”

“I’ll change shoes too.”

Chase shoved his wallet in his back pocket, and maybe for the first time he’d gone out with a woman, he hadn’t double-checked his condom supply.
The place was jam-packed and they scored the last table. Pretty basic menu. Several different cuts and sizes of steak. Fried chicken. Pasta. Seafood. The house specialty was the chicken-fried buffalo steak, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a cold broccoli salad.
“It all looks good. I’m too starved to pick one thing.”

“Trust me to order for you?” Chase asked.
Ava folded her menu and set her elbows on the table. “Please.”

The waitress dropped off two glasses of peach iced tea and Chase dumped in three packets of sugar.
“This is a cool place.”

“Pretty standard for a small Midwestern town. I try to find joints like this rather than eating at another chain restaurant when I’m on the road.”

She mumbled something as her focus followed someone’s movements across the room.
“See someone you know?” he teased.
“I see someone I’d like to know,” Ava purred. “Some fine, fine specimens of cowboy in here.”

Jealousy had Chase cranking his head to check out which man had caught her eye. “Where?”

“Never mind. He’s gone.”

“Maybe you’ll get lucky and run into him next door at the bar.” Jesus. What the hell had possessed him to say that? He glanced up to see Ava looking at him skeptically. He said, “What?”

“I realize we’re just friends, Sundance, but you have no problem with me slow dancing with another guy? Right in front of you?”

Chase hoped his shrug came across nonchalant.
“What if the sexual chemistry was off the charts and I wanted to go home with him?”

The thought of some random guy touching her in all the ways Chase imagined touching her made his teeth clench and his eyeballs pulse. He ripped open two more packets of sugar and angrily dumped them in his tea, violently stirring the liquid.