Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Riptide
The hostess flirts with me a bit too much which puts my teeth on edge.
It’s fucking disrespectful, and if I wasn’t trying to impress Van, I’d give this woman a piece of my mind.
Instead, I ignore her which seems to piss her off further because she becomes short with us when she speaks and she all but slams our menus onto the table before sauntering away.
“Wonder what her problem is?” Van harrumphs, narrowing her eyes in contemplation at the hostesses retreating back.
“I think she’s in heat,” I respond, snorting.
“Wonderful,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “She should be high fiving me instead of giving me dirty looks and being rude.”
I was already fighting my anger but knowing that her foul treatment of us upset Van has me clenching my fists beneath the table.
I don’t like the idea of someone trying to take her power away from her.
She should be able to own the fact that she’s a beautiful woman out for a night with her man and not have to fend off other females.
I’m used to receiving unwanted attention and advances from the ladies, but cattiness has never sat right with me, and unfortunately, that seems to be the case whenever I’m out on a date.
A slipped number here and there.
Flirting with me in front of my date.
Ignoring who I’m dining with.
I could go on, but it begins to get repetitious.
“What’s happened to our society? Women should be empowering each other, not trying to tear each other down,” I grumble as I scan the area, double checking to make sure the hostess isn’t anywhere near us.
Thankfully, the bitch sat us far enough away from her stand that she can’t overhear what we’re saying.
Not that I give a shit what she thinks about me, but I will lose my shit if she continues leering at Van with a repugnant look on her face.
“Jealousy doesn’t appeal to most men I know and it certainly doesn’t work for me. ”
“I don’t let it get to me, Riptide,” she verifies. “Women like her only act out when they want what you have and I don’t have time to give that sort of envy validation.”
“Good, because you shouldn’t,” I claim. I lift up the menu and scan it over. They have some great appetizer selections and I’m not sure which one to choose. “Wanna split an appetizer with me?”
“Only if we split a meal too because these are rather large portions,” she bargains.
A smile splits my face as I think over sharing with her. It’s not something I’ve done often, but with her, I want to share everything, including my food. “I can handle that. They have a platter that has steak, chicken, and shrimp, it’ll give us options.”
“Yes. Let’s do that, I love all three and wouldn’t mind a sample of each,” she says, her tone lighthearted.
Our server comes over and takes our order. Once rolls and cinnamon butter has been put down on the table, I excuse myself. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes rolling to the back of her head at the first bite of her smothered roll. “I’ll be here luxuriating in this amazingness.”
I chuckle, leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on the top of her head. As I walk down the hallway toward the men’s room, I hit Rio’s number and put the phone up to my ear. “Aren’t you on a date, cousin?” he asks as he answers.
“I am,” I confirm. “But I think your friend who owns this joint needs to put his hostess on a leash.”
He snorts and questions, “Tall, blonde, boobs barely contained?”
“That’d be her,” I attest. “She’s a raving bitch.”
“She is, Rip. She also happens to be Clyde’s niece. I’ve warned him about her before and he’s had a talk with her. What’d she do this time?”
I lay it out for him and am unable to keep my anger from seeping through.
He hisses through his teeth, then corroborating to me the fact that it’s the same way she treated Issy the last time he brought her here.
“Told him I wouldn’t be back if this shit kept up.
I’m gonna call him now and tell him about your experience with Carly.
I doubt you’ll be paying a dime for your meal. ”
“What’s her deal, anyway?” I ask.
“She’s a buckle chaser,” Rio tells me.
“I’m not wearing one, brother,” I banter.
“But I’m sure she recognized the last name on the reservation,” Rio debates. “She knows we’re related by that alone.”
“She needs to watch her tongue or I’m gonna cut it out,” I relay.
“I’ll make the call. I doubt you see hide or hair of her again, cousin.”
“That’d be a good thing, Rio.”
“I’ll see that it’s done.” He disconnects without another word and I quickly turn on my heels and head back to Van.
When I make it to the table, she’s lounged back against the backrest, patting her belly. “I ordered our meal and appetizer. I didn’t know what you’d want to drink so he said he’d be back once he sees you sit down.”
“I’m not drinking tonight since I’m carrying precious cargo in the truck. Water or a soft drink will work for me.”
Her eyes soften as she looks at me. “That’s one of the sweetest things anyone’s ever said to me.”
“You deserve to hear things like that every day, Van.” I’m not sure where this side of me is coming from, I’ve never acted like this or treated a woman this way, but as long as she keeps looking at me how she is at this moment, I hope it sticks.
We’re both stuffed and in food comas when we make it back to Van’s rental. When we arrive, Zoey and Indiana are lounging on the porch swing, cuddled up to one another.
“The kids and Icer are conked out. They didn’t make it to the credits before every one of them started snoring. He wouldn’t let us do anything with the kids, he’s not as good at sharing as he claims to be,” Zoey tells us.
“There’s something about the kids that have his protective instincts kicking into high gear,” I muse.
“They’re the most vulnerable and innocent of us,” Van adds. “We’re all like that to an extent, he just takes it a step further than we do.”
“They’re more susceptible to danger,” Indiana adds, mulling things over. “It makes sense that he’d be overly protective of them.”
“Not to mention, he’d want to make sure they aren’t being abused in any way. It’s why he inserts himself so freely into their lives,” Zoey says. “Makes me love him more.”
“If I had to choose someone to be Gagey’s protector, it’d be him,” Van confesses.
“He’d take a bullet for us, but he’d raze the world for them,” I state. “But I have to admit, I worry if his attachment to them is a healthy one.”
“It’s a gift, Riptide. Don’t over analyze it because if you do, it’ll possibly drive you to the point of insanity,” Van suggests.
“Abuse victims latch onto vulnerable people, it’s a tactic that keeps them grounded.
Right now, in my opinion, it hasn’t gone to an unhealthy place so let him enjoy his time with the kids. ”
“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement, Van, but I’m going to keep an eye on him,” I reply. “I don’t want him to keep them from spreading their wings.”
“I agree with that, Riptide. Kids have to learn from their mistakes and we can’t keep them from making them so they can learn and grow,” Van asserts.
“As long as those lessons aren’t a danger to them,” Indiana adds. “Fuck knows I could’ve used someone like Icer growing up.”
“We all could have, brother,” I say. “Would’ve saved me from a broken arm.”
“So we’re all in agreement? We let him learn alongside them when it comes to what he can and can’t prevent from happening?” Zoey asks.
“It’s going to be a curve for all of us,” I mumble. “We’ll want to step in but we need to reserve that instinct for when it’s necessary.”
“For the most part, he has things under control,” Zoey states. “If anything, we need to break him from his overindulgence with them. We’re going to have to add on to our house at this rate if he continues buying out the store every time he goes and sees something he thinks they’ll like.”
Indiana whistles. “He took her to the toy store before we left. She liked a doll… one doll! He took that to mean she needed the house, the car, the horse, a new wardrobe, and a friend to share everything with. Her closet no longer holds her clothes, it has new shelves for all the damn toys.”
“Where are her clothes?” Van skeptically asks.
“In our closet,” Zoey says, laughing. “I had to move most of my hanging clothes into the dresser. I now have to iron everything before putting it on.”
“Riptide, I’m moving into a two bedroom rental,” Van whispers, sounding worried. “I can’t build any additions onto the house. You have to wrangle him in.”
“Me?” I ask, pointing to my chest. “You ladies would have better luck with that than I would. He questions and debates every order I give him.”
Indiana finds that hilarious and bends over, clutching his stomach. “Isn’t it you who reminded him who the man in charge is?”
“Yeah, but that’s different, Indiana, and you know it,” I grind out.
“Why?” Van asks, confusion laced in her question.
“Because this involves the kids,” I respond. “There’s no reasoning with him or ordering him to stop when it comes to them.”
“Fine,” Van huffs out. “Then I expect you to talk to my landlord and get her to agree to having a play shed put in the backyard because I can’t do clutter.”
“Especially with little G learning how to walk. It’d be dangerous for him to toddle around with toys spread out in his walking area. He could trip and fall,” Zoey explains.
“He could hit his head on the coffee table and need stitches,” Van screeches, panicking.
That visualization doesn’t sit right with me.
I can’t even think of him being hurt when there’s something I could’ve done to prevent it.
“What’s your landlord’s number?” I ask, pulling out my phone and looking at Van.
She smirks at me, grabs her phone, and rattles the number out to me.
I put it in my address book and shoot off a text to Slayer.
He needs to be aware that he’ll be losing a prospect or two if I can get the landlord to agree.
I shake my head because I never thought I’d be bartering with someone over a shed to contain toys and other kid items so the little man doesn’t get injured.