I Want You Back (Want You #1)(41)

I glanced up at him, then at the tables next to us in the restaurant. No one paid attention to me as far as I could tell.

Just then my phone rang in my hand, the Eminem “Lose Yourself” ring tone blaring, so then everyone did stare at us. I answered quickly and as quietly as I could manage. “Hello?”

“Mommy! Guess what? I got a cell phone! And you’re the very first person that I called!”

My temper rose and I knew I couldn’t keep my voice down. I said, “Wow, sweetheart, that’s really something. Hang on one second.” I looked at Damon apologetically and left the table, walking through the restaurant until I reached the waiting area, which, thankfully, was mostly empty.

Mimi said, “Daddy helped me text you. Did you see the mermaid and unicorns in the message?”

“Yes, I did. Very cool. It was nice of him to help you out. Could you hand your phone to your father, please?”

“Don’t you want to talk to me?” she said with a pout in her voice.

“Of course I do. As soon as I have a word with him.”

“You’re gonna yell at him, aren’t you?”

You bet your sweet ass I am.

A clunk sounded on the other end, followed by muffled words. Then Jax’s deep voice drifted into my ear. “Now hold on, Lucy, it’s not what you think.”

“Not what I think?” I hissed. “I think you bought our daughter a goddamned cell phone when I specifically forbade you to do just that, you jackass.”

“She’s sitting right here, and if you keep up that kind of language, I will put you on speakerphone to stop it, understand?”

God. I hated that I’d reverted to name-calling. What was wrong with me? “Sorry.”

“That’s better. Are you calm enough to let me explain why Mimi has a cell phone?”

“I’m not even fucking close to calm.”

“I take it your date isn’t going well, then?”

I held the phone out and glared at it, as if I could see Jax’s smarmy face to go with the smarmy tone I was hearing from him. “How in the hell did you know I was on a date?” I spun around. “Did you have someone follow me?”

“Relax, Lucy Q. Mimi knew you were on a date and she told me.”

“How did she know? I didn’t tell her.”

“Might wanna remember that whole ‘little pitchers have big ears’ thing the next time you discuss your love life with your sister.”

“I don’t have a love life—” Dammit, why had I admitted that? “Not that it’s any of your business if I did,” I retorted. “Leave it to you to wreck any potential love life with this stunt.”

“Stunt? All I did was allow Mimi to call her mother when she had some exciting news to share with her. Not my fault if Pencil-Neck Geek boy can’t handle the fact you’ve been briefly interrupted by our daughter.”

I wanted to scream. This man could rile me up in no time flat. And why had Mimi picked up on her aunt’s assessment of Damon and decided to share that with her father? Now Jaxson would think . . .

Why do you care what Jaxson thinks about your date?

Good question.

“I hear you fuming, Luce. I bet you’ve got that cute little crease between your eyebrows as you’re silently cursing me.” He paused. “I hear your heels clicking, which means you’re pacing too.”

I stopped moving. “This is just so typically you, Jaxson Lund.”

“Throwing out bits of flattery when we fight? I’m touched you remember how we used to do this, babe.”

Babe. That urge to scream arose again.

“I’m not doing this with you, Jax. Be at my place, with Mimi, and that blasted cell phone, in half an hour. You can explain why she has it in person.”

“You’re cutting your date short?”

“Gee, do you think?”

He chuckled and the sexy sound zipped down the right side of my body. “Pencil-Neck Geek boy can’t handle you when you’re like this, can he?”

“That is none of your concern, Lund. Thirty minutes. Every minute you’re late, I will tear a new strip from you, understood?”

“Understood. And maybe it makes me a masochist, but I look forward to it, Lucy Q.”

He hung up.

I let a little frustrated noise escape me. That conceited ass. When I got my hands on him . . .

“Lucy?”

I whirled around to see Damon staring at me with utter shock.

“I’m sorry, Damon. Family emergency. I have to go.”

“I understand. I’ll get my keys from the valet and take you home.”

“No.” I sucked in a quick breath. Not cool snapping at him. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll just grab a cab.” I managed a tight smile. “I’m sorry the evening ended up this way.”

“Are you?” he said coolly.

“Excuse me?”

“I overheard your conversation, Lucy. In fact, I’m pretty sure the entire restaurant did. Is this truly an emergency with your daughter?”

My confused look wasn’t faked. “What else would it be?”

“You tell me.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Because it sounded like you were talking to that former hockey player, Jaxson Lund. It sounded like you’re meeting him.”