Risk (Gentry Boys #2)(17)

I cut the chicken sandwich in half. That didn’t make it look any more appetizing. It seemed the quality of Cluck This dining was on a downward spiral. Or else I was.

“Perhaps the older I become the more easily I wilt.”

My friend stared at me, her green eyes serious. She absently played with the silver ring on her left hand. Cord had given it to her; a symbol of their love and their future. We hadn’t spoken again about my crazy sex encounter with Creed Gentry. I didn’t ask about him and, mercifully, I hadn’t seen him around. I would have been utterly mortified if anyone besides Dolly knew that every night I was compelled to pick up Creed’s abandoned shirt and inhale the lingering scent of him as every important nerve in my body convulsed.

Saylor had apparently decided not to press me. She tossed her head in the direction of the latest waitressing addition. Her name was Julie and she was tall, blonde and, from what I could tell, a vicious phony.

“She’s making me look bad,” Saylor commented and we both turned to watch Julie as she brightly relayed the Cluck This specials to a troupe of middle aged businessmen who stared unabashedly at her tanned legs.

“Well, sugar,” I sighed, “it ain’t that tough to make you look bad at this career.” Saylor was an awful waitress.

“Screw you,” she said good-naturedly. “Just see if I invite you to my first book signing.”

“Oh, you finished it?”

“No quite,” she frowned. “I’m getting there though.”

“I’d like to read it. Really.”

She smiled faintly. “And so you shall the minute I’m finished.”

“I can’t wait.”

Saylor looked suddenly distracted. She pulled at her hair and pursed her lips slightly. My heart skipped a little. I knew she was going to mention Creed.

“He seemed almost cheerful there for a few days. Pretty remarkable for Creedence. Usually he’s nothing but grim and distant.”

“Oh,” I said, only because I felt like I had to answer somehow.

“Sorry,” she shook her head. “I shouldn’t have brought his name up.”

“No, it’s okay. I mean he’s your future brother-in-law and he lives in the same apartment as you. I don’t plan on spending the rest of my days running from any mention of Creed Gentry.”

She gave me a pitying smile. Sometimes I felt like Saylor could see through me. Aggie used to be able to do that, to call me on bullshit when she saw it. I couldn’t really put a finger on what was bothering me. I wasn’t even sure I liked Creed. How could I? The boy barely spoke. But holy shit was there a chemistry there. I couldn’t admit it to Saylor. I could barely admit it to myself. Creedence Gentry had made me forget everything I ever thought I knew about sex, passion and the way my own body worked. He had shaken me to the core.

Saylor rose from the chair with a sigh. She tapped me on the shoulder with kindness. “Remember what I said, Truly. About screaming to the sky.”

I did remember. Say had told me that if I ever needed someone to talk to, to stand there next to me as I screamed at the sky, then she was my girl. She’d said it to me as I stood primping in front of a mirror, not guessing that within an hour I’d take an inexcusable risk and be screaming all right, but from sheer ecstasy. Still, it was nice to think there was someone who actually cared about what was going on inside my head.

“You’d be the one I’d call,” I assured her.

Ed had emerged from his office and he was eyeing us. Saylor flounced past him and smiled. I still had ten minutes left of my break so I choked down a few more bites of chicken and then tossed the rest in the trash.

The rest of the evening was uneventful drudgery. I took orders. I served chicken. Then I did it again.

Cord came through the door about half an hour before close. Ed gave him a hard look but Cord held up his hands and grinned.

“You said not to come in after hours. It’s not after hours.”

Ed scowled. “Well you’ve still got to order something or leave.”

“Fine.” Cord sat down at a table by the door. “Give me a Coke.”

“I’m not a waiter!”

“Truly,” Cord grinned at me sweetly. “Would you please take my order?”

“It’ll be right out,” I told him, smiling in spite of myself.

Saylor was in the kitchen trying to balance four plates loaded with food. It looked like a situation destined for disaster so I took several of them from her.

“Cord’s here,” I said. “He’s expecting someone to bring him a Coke.”

“Hmm,” she frowned. “He’s early.”

I told her to go on ahead and that I would serve her table. She gave me a grateful smile and then retreated with Cord’s drink in hand. I brought the food out to a quartet of college guys. They tried to compliment me in a flirty, harmless way but I just wasn’t up for it. I asked them if they needed anymore ketchup and then moved on.

The sight of Cord and Saylor sitting together stopped me. Cord looked upset. Say was across from him, her head bowed. Suddenly she rose and went to him, pulling his head to her breast. He circled his arms around her back and closed his eyes. She rocked back and forth gently, kissing the top of his head.

After a few minutes Saylor returned to work and Cord remained at the front table, quietly waiting for her. When all the other customers had left and the sign on the front door changed to ‘Closed’ I caught up to Say by the bar.