Chapter 23 Anna
ANNA
How dare he? I was fuming, wiping down tables in the now-empty bar, still stewing over my interaction with Luke.
The nerve of him. Acting all protective, then throwing that ridiculous comment at me.
Accusing me of flirting for tips. Seriously?
My brain was stuck in a loop, replaying every infuriating second.
I scrubbed harder at an immaculate table, muttering under my breath.
Mr. Movie Star thinks he knows everything about real life?
Please. He probably had people hand-feeding him organic grapes while he casually dismissed real problems. I didn’t even realize I was violently rearranging the salt and pepper shakers into angry little armies until Marie Antoinette interrupted my rage spiral.
“Hey, girl.” She waved a hand in front of my face. “It’s pouring out there. It’s the kind of rain that turns streets into rivers. Mrs. Brodie called, and she wants us to close and head out.”
I blinked, momentarily disoriented. “What?”
She threw her hands up in exaggerated disbelief. “You seriously haven’t noticed the rain? It’s like someone turned on a firehose in the sky.” She pointed dramatically to the window, where rain poured down relentlessly.
I squinted at the downpour. Huh. When did that happen?
“I’ll give you a ride.”
She held an umbrella over both of us as we braved the rain.
Luckily, she had a truck with tires high enough to handle stormwater.
After a quick trip through the Garden District to drop me off, the rest of her drive would be on higher ground.
She navigated her truck slowly through the streets, which were starting to fill with water.
When we reached the mansion, I was surprised to see that the gate was already open. The reason, I soon realized, was that Luke was sitting in his Lamborghini, ready to leave.
“Is that the guy who’s staying in Topher’s mansion? What is that fool trying to do?” Marie Antoinette exclaimed. Thankfully, there was no way she could tell it was Luke. She turned to me. “I have to get home before this rain gets any worse, but you have to stop him.”