Chapter Six #3
Jonah nodded and reached for his wallet, scanning the receipt. He cocked a brow and lifted it closer to read. It was a lot less than it should’ve been.
“You left off the drinks from the bar,” he said, gaining the waitress’s attention.
“Oh yeah, she paid her own. Jase said she insisted.” She smiled as she stacked the plates on her forearm. “I would’ve let you pay for mine. And I would’ve been very grateful too.” She winked and turned away from the table.
He glanced over to the bar, expecting to see Roxanne. He’d felt her staring a few times and confirmed it when he looked over. This time, however, her seat was occupied by someone else. He scanned the bar and then quickly perused the dining room. No sign of her or Emory.
He grasped the arms of his chair and rose, making his way to an empty section of the bar. The bartender was clearing glasses from three stools down and looked up. “Hey man, another beer?”
“No. The woman who was sitting at the bar earlier? She left?”
The corner of his mouth curled. “Yeah, about five minutes ago. Her friend never showed. She got tired of waiting, I guess. I told her you were paying for her drinks, but I don’t think she liked that. Insisted on paying her own bill.”
Fuck! She was probably insulted and Jonah couldn’t blame her. He meant it as a kind gesture, but that obviously backfired. This is why I’m fucking single.
He quickly glanced over at his table. Rachel hadn’t returned from the bathroom. He needed to focus on her and not Roxanne. The right thing to do would’ve been to go back to his table, wait for his date and forget about Roxanne. It’s what he should’ve done.
He pushed off the bar and weaved through the small crowd by the hostess area.
He walked out the door and scanned the street.
The restaurant didn’t offer a parking lot, so she must have come out through the front door.
His search for her car with the huge dent courtesy of Cord turned up nothing.
The dim lighting didn’t help. She must have left already.
It was a good thing. He had no explanation, even for himself, of why he had just abandoned his own date to come look for her.
He turned toward the door, opening it, and a pair of long tan legs caught his attention.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
Well, I found her. Now what?
She was leaning with her back against a streetlamp, her head bowed, looking at her phone. She was probably waiting for a ride. It made sense considering how many drinks she’d had. And he would know since he’d watched her most of the night.
His heart beat heavily against his chest. God, this damn woman and her long legs, dark hair falling down her back and crystal blue eyes.
He shifted his legs trying to create more room in his pants.
Thirty years old and sporting wood for a woman on the street.
He grasped the back of his neck and cursed. What the fuck was wrong with him?
He gripped the door handle with too much intensity. Walk your ass back inside … to your date. There was no sensible reason he should feel conflicted. Go into the fucking restaurant.
She was pacing in front of the streetlamp, cocking her head from one end of the street to the other. Her ride would probably pull up any minute. It was a relatively safe area, and there were plenty of people around. She was safe. Rachel was probably back at the table by now, waiting for him.
Go back inside, asshole.
He released the door and walked toward her. Roxanne angled her head to the left. When she straightened and turned, her eyes widened, meeting his stare.
“Hey, Jonah.” Her breath hitched when she spoke his name, and for some reason, his own breath grew heavy.
He jerked his chin. “Waiting for a ride?”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat, fidgeting with her phone. “Emory got hung up longer than she expected, and she was my DD, so I’m waiting on a car service. Should be here any minute.”
He tried his best to focus on her face, mainly her eyes.
It proved harder than expected. She was dressed conservatively in a tight black blouse, which was unbuttoned at the top.
She always looked like this. Put together in a way that made her look like she spent hours choosing what to wear.
Her clothes fit as if specifically tailored for her, accentuating her curves in all the right places.
He balled his fists and averted his gaze, cursing his mini-infatuation. God, this woman is fucking with my head.
“Did you enjoy your dinner?”
For unknown reasons, a sense of guilt washed over him.
He nodded. A grown-ass man, only able to nod?
“We’re actually heading out now.” He was about to make a move that made no sense. He did it anyway. “How about I save you a few bucks, and give you a ride home?”
She blinked, and he caught the small gasp before her nose scrunched. “Uh, wow… that’s … um,” she stammered, and looked over his shoulder. “Where’s Rachel?”
You remember Rachel, right? Your fucking date.
“She’s using the restroom. Why don’t you cancel your car service, and I’ll go pay the bill.
” He waited and watched closely. He hadn’t considered how Rachel might feel about it, though he didn’t think she’d mind.
Rachel wasn’t like most women when it came to competition.
Besides, she was only interested in a date that ended up with them in bed.
He ignored the ache in his chest and the eagerness to avoid that outcome tonight. Ironic, since it was the sole reason for the date.
“Um … I uh …” A small blue sedan pulled up, stopping directly in front of them. “This is my ride. But thanks for the offer. It was nice seeing you again. Bye.” She rushed toward the curb and opened the door, not sparing him a glance. He watched the car drive off into traffic.
He grasped his neck trying to ease the tension in his muscles.
It wasn’t working. He shifted around and started into the restaurant.
He sighed as he made his way to Rachel, who was standing in the doorway.
This was probably another play in Cord’s handbook.
He was chasing after one woman while another waited for him.
“So, they’re being assholes and they want us to pay our bill.” She snickered, the sound easing some of Jonah's tension. He was sure she wouldn’t give him shit about leaving her at the table.
“Sorry about that …”
She lifted her hand. “Babe, it’s fine. Let’s just get back in before they make us do dishes or some shit.” She wiggled her fingers. “Do you know how much this manicure cost?”
Rachel was great about not asking why he’d followed Roxanne out of the restaurant.
He had no explanation that made sense, even to himself.
They left and headed back to her place. She spoke throughout the entire ride, which was the norm for them.
He zoned out, though. All his thoughts were on a blue-eyed, dark-haired beauty.
When he pulled into her driveway, his mind was still on Roxanne, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, he no longer wanted the night to end in Rachel’s bed. He shifted the truck into park but made no move to turn off the engine.
Jonah licked his lips. “I think we should call it a night.”
Her mouth gaped, and he could read her shock. Of course she was surprised. Their dates always included dinner and sex. Now he was bailing on what he presumed was her main desire. The sex.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I had a long day. I gotta be up early in the morning.” He had a tight grip on the steering wheel. He felt like an ass feeding her this bullshit.
She sat back in the seat and eyed him before curling her lip. “Okay, then maybe next time?”
“Yeah.”
She leaned forward until they were inches apart. “Well, I won’t say I’m not disappointed.”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry.” But he wasn’t sorry. There was only one woman taking up space in his head, and it wasn’t the one next to him.
She slid her hand up his neck and curled her fingers around his chin.
“Don’t be. What you and I have … this thing we do?
It works.” Her eyes softened. “For now. But I’m hoping that one day soon, it won’t work for me.
” She smiled slightly and dipped her chin.
“Kind of hoping to meet someone who wants to have breakfast with me.”
Fuck, I’m an asshole!
“Rach …”
She placed her finger on his lips. “Nope, you don’t get to feel bad, and I’m not trying to guilt you.
This works for us, but I know you aren’t the guy for me, and that’s okay.
I’m just saying, I want to meet someone I can fall in love with, you know.
” Her finger slid from his lips, down his neck.
“And I want that for you, too.” She brushed her lips against his in a soft kiss.
She pulled away, got out of his truck and turned back to him with a smile.
“Drive safe, babe.”
He jerked his chin and waited for her to go inside her place before backing up and heading home. The drive gave him time to think. But all he wanted was the current vision out of his head. Roxanne.
He turned up the music, rolled down the windows and focused on the road. He calculated his day for tomorrow, and soon, she faded into the background.
Jonah pulled into his driveway. The lights on the porch were on, which meant no one was home yet.
Of course, they aren’t. It’s fucking nine-thirty.
He turned off the engine and sat back, staring at the house he’d rebuilt.
It’d been a long road, but he and his brothers were finally home.
Very few knew, but they’d grown up in this house.
It was where he and his three brothers were brought home from the hospital.
All of Jonah’s core memories of his family belonged to this house.
After his parents and brother died, Jonah thought it was best they left it behind to give Holden and Cord a fresh start.
To this day, he regretted leaving. It had changed hands twice but he hadn’t been in a position to buy it at the time.
Until two years ago, when it came back on the market.
The previous owners had let a lot of things go.
It was in pretty awful shape. His real estate agent called it a money pit and tried to dissuade him from purchasing it, but she didn’t know their backstory.
Jonah knew what the home had once been and was determined to bring it back to life. Best decision I ever made.
Jonah dragged his hand over his jaw, eyeing the house. It wouldn’t be long before Cord and then Holden would be out on their own, and the place would feel even bigger. It was a large family’s dream home. Too big for just him. But he had no intention of letting it go again.
When his phone pinged, he straightened his back, and clenched his jaw.
Roxanne: Hey Jonah. I’ve been thinking, and I’m going to get the repairs done at the shop. After your donation to the auction, this makes us even. We’re good. Have a nice night.
Jonah felt the heat rise in his chest and up his neck, spreading across his cheeks. What the fuck was she talking about? How much did she have to drink that eating the cost of repairs sounded like a good idea? He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. He’d royally fucked up tonight.
Jonah resisted the urge to text her back.
He didn’t know what to say. But, one thing was for damn sure.
She wasn’t paying for anything. No! He was doing the work.
It didn’t escape his mind that his anger also stemmed from the thought of not seeing her again on Saturday.
He grasped the handle, threw the door open and then slammed it shut.
He stalked up the path, fuming with the anger riddling the depths of his body.
He was going to see her again.
Fuck!