Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Drew
My finger drifted across the screen, the dorky smile creeping along my face again as it pinged to life.
“You’ve definitely put her number in?” I asked Jedd, swinging my legs up onto my desk as I leaned back in my chair, leather squeaking against leather.
“Were the first fifty answers to that question not enough?”
“I find myself trusting you fuckers less and less,” I said quietly, my attention falling back down to the shiny new phone in my hand. “You’ll have stored her under Ayda and next thing I know, I’ll have agreed to suck the tits of some Chinese mafia head and have an angry mob on my doorstep.”
Jedd laughed roughly. “We have enough enemies for now, Tucker.”
“No shit.” I smirked.
Crossing my legs at the ankle, I let out a small grunt and began to press on the little square picture things in front of me. Everyone knew I was crap with that kind of technology, and the last thing anyone would be expecting was for me to join them in the modern day and finally admit defeat.
“As if you weren’t distracted enough before. This new toy of yours is going to get us all killed.”
“It was either this or fix the bat signal.” I grinned, keeping my eyes on the screen as I tried to work out where the fuck her name was hidden.
“I thought you had yourself down as more of a villain than a hero.”
“Don’t you start fucking psychoanalyzing me, Jedd. I’m all therapied out. Now shut the fuck up while I play.”
Jedd fell back in his chair, both hands rising to cradle his head as he watched me like I was his kid and this was our first Christmas morning together.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, reaching up to scratch the side of my beard as I tried to remember what he told me to do.
“Need help?”
“Nope,” I lied.
Once I navigated my way through the entire fucking phone, disregarding the maps, the big blue button with an F on it and some other shit, I found her.
I’d specifically told Jedd not to store her under Ayda, for reasons that I didn’t want to think about for too long.
The thought of anyone finding her and hurting her instantly made my blood boil.
Instead, she was hidden away under Mol, and Jedd had only given me a small look of congratulations when I’d said it before he looked back down and typed it in.
Whether she approved of the term or not, Ayda was my old lady.
She always would be, no matter what messed up roads we happened to take along the way.
Pushing my fat as fuck thumb against each letter, it seemed to take me seven hours to type out one single sentence to her.
I’m looking for a Miss Ayda Jane Hanagan. Can you help me?
Who is this?
I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information until I know who it is I’m talking to.
Well, you’re shit out of luck. I can’t disclose any information until I know who I’M talking to!
I asked first.
What are you? Twelve?
Are you talking years or inches?
Do I know you?
What are you? A detective?
Maybe. Wanna play 20 Questions?
Is that something you usually play with strangers?
Not generally, but I’m curious as to who the fuck you are. First question… are you older than 20?
Curiosity is a very dangerous thing to have. Can get you killed… Or you could end up like George and wasn’t he the hairy fucker?
Older than 20. Now my go.
Is this the phone of Ayda Jane Hanagan?
Maybe… ;) Q2: Are you under 40?
Are you flirting with me?
NO! I’m actually kinda annoyed. Q3: What do you want?
Don’t be angry. It gives you wrinkles. I want a lot of things. Things I can’t discuss until I know if you are her or not.
Next question. Did you just stamp your foot?
No! I’m drinking coffee and I don‘t waste coffee over childish antics. Q4: If I was Ayda, and I’m not saying I am, would I know you?
Most definitely.
Okay. I’m Ayda. Who are you? I’ll even say please… PLEASE!
You’d be shit under interrogation.
Haha… butthead. Was I at question 5 or 6? Q6: Do you like me? And to clarify, I mean as in like and dislike, not like in the other respect.
Thanks for clearing that up. What would it matter if I liked you in the other respect? You got a man in your life already or something?
Well, you said you know me. You must have been lying. Everyone knows who my heart belongs to, which makes the other kind of like irrelevant. Now ANSWER… Are you a HW?
A what?
That’s a no then. Question… oh who cares: Who ARE YOU?
My smile must have made me look like an idiot as I stared down at my phone and imagined the face she would be pulling.
Jedd left halfway through our game of going back and forth.
Apparently I was too slow at replying and it was boring the fuck out of him.
I swung my legs off the desk and stood to stretch my muscles before making my way out through the bar and heading outside.
Who do you want me to be?
I’m not playing anymore. Have a nice life, stranger. I hope you’ve had fun. I’m going to block your number now.
No, you’re not. You’re way too curious for that.
How do you know I’m curious?
Because you just replied. George.
Give me one more chance. Don’t waste your coffee. Order another one.
The user you have tried to reach is currently unavailable… Asshole!
Shame. I was about to deliver something to her that could change her life forever. I’ll find someone else a little less… volatile.
Now I’m insulted. You think I’m materialistic.
I do?
Obviously. I had a cheerleader friend in High School. She had money, so she’d bribe people to do things after they’d said no by suddenly pulling gifts out of the hat to make them change their minds. I hate to break it to you, bud, but I’m on the last of my nine lives… I’m not THAT curious!
I never said I had anything of worth to pass on. I just said it could change your life. Curses do that as well as gifts. Depends how much you like to live life on the edge, I guess. Your choice, Ayda Jane Hanagan. I can walk away now, or...
It was implied that it was something I would covet. *Sigh* If you kill me, my boyfriend will bring me back just to kill me all over again… How do I know this offering is worth the risk? How do I know you’re not baiting me into a trap?
You don’t. But what is your gut telling you to do?
I’m torn… Walk away and live to hunt you down and strangle you for being so fucking annoying OR risk getting murdered to stop a sleepless night of trying to figure out who you are and what the hell you want!
Want to know why I’m being so annoying?
Yes please! <~ See, I said please and everything!
Because one of my favorite things in life is seeing the way you turn your nose up and curl your top lip when you’re angry.
I don’t do that. You have the wrong Ayda… :-/
Really? Looks like you’re doing it right now. You really should at least acknowledge the other people around you, too. You’ve been staring at your cell for quite some time now. I think the old, hairy, fat guy is getting worried you’re having an affair. Wait. Is he the boyfriend?
Okay… You made me look. Where are you hiding?
Hiding? I’m not hiding. You just got to lift your head up a little higher and pay attention. You know, maybe check out the hot guy in the hat who happens to be behind the cash register ;)
You absolute BASTARD! GET OVER HERE!!!!!
She didn’t have to tell me twice, and as I flashed Janette a wink and tossed her Rusty’s hat, she caught it against her chest and smiled like a proud mother.
Ayda thought she didn’t have a home of her own, and she thought she didn’t have any family apart from Tate and the men I’d introduced her to, but she was wrong on so many levels.
More people loved her than she realized, and as I turned to give her my full attention, the sight of her baby blues lighting up the room as usual, I took a second to pat myself on the back for being one hell of a lucky bastard.
“Hey, darlin’,” I said quietly, slipping in beside her.
Her half laugh and lean into my shoulder were followed abruptly by a light slap on my chest. “That was the weirdest thing ever. I had no idea how to handle that situation. When the hell did you get a cell?”
“About two hours ago.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, my other hand digging into my pocket before I pulled the phone out and tossed it on the top of the table. “I am officially a modern day man. Just don’t ask me to do anything quickly.”
She picked it up and turned it in her hands before setting it back on the table. “Look at you. Was it Jedd or Slater? I know they were both pissed off at seeing my number when I was trying to reach you.”
“Me. I don’t follow orders. You know that.” I winked and tapped the badge across my chest, raising a brow as she gave me one of those looks of hers.
“I find that kinda sexy, Mr. Tucker.”
“I know you do.” My smirk was growing as I reached over for my phone and slid it across the surface. Leaning over it so she couldn’t see what I was doing, I typed out another message to her then sat back and waited.
Her face lit up, her eyes flickering between the screen and me before they wandered to Janette. “Take me home? I believe we had a date on your bike planned at some point?”
I pulled my face back quickly, realizing something I hadn’t given any thought to before this very moment right here. “I’ve never taken you on a date,” I blurted out quietly. “Shit.”
“Slacker,” she said, grinning playfully. “But you should know by now that that doesn’t matter.”
“I’ve never taken anyone on a date, Ayda.”
Curling into my side almost shyly, she looked up at me with a grin. “Do you want to?”
“I kinda do,” I answered, leaning a little closer to her to close the distance. “Something else that’s new. You free tomorrow night? If I haven’t managed to piss you off or annoy you again by then, I mean.”
“I would absolutely love to. I may even buy new clothes and all that good stuff.” She smiled up at me, her fingers playing with the ends of her hair. “Maybe we can see how flexible I am over your bike at the end of it. Just to show how classy I am.”
“Now I’m wishing we’d said tonight. Good job I’m learning to be patient.” I reached up to her face, brushing away an invisible piece of hair just so I had a reason to touch her. “Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. Clothes optional. Most of Babylon has seen your ass now anyway.”
For someone so small, she could hit hard, and the slap to my shoulder had me sliding away with a bark of a laugh as she buried her face in her hands and turned a perfect shade of red.
There were few things in life I enjoyed more than Ayda’s blush.
After the way I’d behaved the last few days, I was determined to see that right alongside an unfading smile tomorrow night.
As well as a few more of my favorite things of hers.