Love Thy Neighbor (Friend-Zoned)(74)

When they take their seats, I reach for my cola. I take a sip just as Max says, “Hey Ghost, where’s Tasha these days?”

I open my mouth to speak and swallow at the same time. I choke on my drink, coughing and sputtering. Some cola goes up my nose and the rest ends up all over me. Nat bursts into laughter. She shakes her head, muttering, “Spaz.”

Getting my shit together, I clear my throat and tell Max, “I don’t see her anymore.” I don’t know where it comes from, but I can’t seem to stop myself from saying aloud, “Actually, I’m sorta seeing someone.”

And as soon as I say it, I wish I had one of those magic poof balls that the villains use in the old time movies. You know? The ones that go poof making a huge cloud of smoke giving the villain time to disappear.

Yeah. Those.

Nat stiffens by my side and I see Isa smile big. Suddenly I’m bombarded with questions. Max leans forward and asks incredulously, “Seeing someone? As in dating?”

I nod and Trick says wide-eyed, “Wow. Who is she?”

I open my mouth to answer but Nik cuts me off by asking, “How long you been seeing this broad?”

Scowling at Nik, I suddenly want to smack him for calling Nat a ‘broad’. Only I get to call her a broad because she’s mine. She’s a…I would say lady, but…yeah, no. Let’s call her a spitfire.

Tina looks dreamy-happy when she states, “Oh Ghost, honey, we need to meet her!”

Mimi side-eyes Nat and repeats, “Yeah. We’d love to meet her.”

Lola looks from me to Nat looking sad. She says sulkily, “Well that sucks.” Trick nudges her and she amends her previous statement to, “I mean that’s great.” Forcing the fakest smile I’ve ever seen her wear.

Maria and Leti look like they’re about to burst from happiness. And I suddenly feel courageous. I tell them, “Yeah, she’s- uh- she’s something else.” Reaching under the booth, I squeeze Nat’s knee and go on, “She’s f*ckin’ funny and cute as hell. She yells at me all the time. Doesn’t take my shit.” I feel Nat’s hand cover mine. Her thumb caresses the back of my hand and I continue, “She listens to me even when I’m being an ass. There’s something different about this one. I want her. To keep. She says she loves me.”

All the girls gasp and make gooey faces while clutching their hands to their chests. All except Nat and Mimi, that is. Mimi smiles gently and Nat remains stone-faced.

Tina leans forward and asks quietly, “Do you? You know? Love her?”

Squeezing Nat’s knee again, I reply, “She’s teachin’ me how.”

If Tina could melt into a puddle, she would’ve just now. Shit, she actually looks like she could cry.

Max looks shocked. So does Trick. And Nik.

Okay, they all do, and normally I’d give a f*ck or two, but not a single f*ck was given this day. If she’d let me, I’d tell them all right now that she’s mine.

And I’m keeping her.

***

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

Did that just happen? Did Ash just tell everyone that he was dating me and that I was teaching him how to love?

Swoon, baby.

That right there was swoon-tastic. He is so getting laid tonight. I might even beg to suck his cock. I know how much he likes that.

If I’m being honest, I like it as much as he does.

I take a sip of my drink just as Ash slides his hand from my knee up my thigh. I try to swallow but it goes down the wrong way, so I sputter and cough my ass off. I cough long and hard for a good minute when Ash throws my previous insult back at me. He chuckles and mutters, “Spaz.”

Still holding my thigh under the table, he slides it a little higher, looks down to me with a scowl and says, “Did you lock my car?”

Suddenly horny and confused, I tell him, “What the f*ck are you talking about, asshat?”

He sighs loudly and the whole booth looks up at us.

Why is he making a scene?

He says, “There’s a way to lock it. My baby gets stolen, it’s on you.”

Oh! I get ya, baby. Wink, wink.

I glare at him and say, “Well, if you’d shown me in the first place, you wouldn’t be questioning me right now.”

Ash shakes his head, exhaling loudly and muttering, “Ain’t gonna be a next time.” Then nods his head. “Come on.”

Isa moves out of the booth trying hard to hide her smile. Ash stands and I follow him out. I meet Tina’s eyes, and mouth, “Asshole!”

She throws me a sympathetic look and waves to me. Running to catch up with him, I tell him, “You could’ve warned me, Ash.”

He shakes his head and says, “Need to be inside you, pretty girl. Now.”

Taking hold of my forearm, he almost drags me out of the club and over to his shiny black Impala. A word to describe this car. Hot. Sex incarnate would be another.

The doors unlock and he walks around the car. He sits in the passenger front side, pushing the bench seat back as far as it’ll go. He pats his lap, looking up at me through hooded eyes.

Oh, I like this.

The parking lot is dimly lit but if anyone walked past his car, they’d see us pretty damn clearly. And that makes this all the hotter. He unbuckles his shiny silver belt, undoes the top button to his jeans, lowers his zipper, then reaches into them and pulls himself free.