blocking my view momentarily. Walking out the door, I am nearly stopped in my tracks by the man before me. Mitch. The guy who has been at the club offering obscene amounts of money for a private dance from me is sitting at Audrey’s round, wooden patio table inhaling a bag of fries.
He looks different from his usual inebriated self. He looks stockier up close, his broad shoulders not slumped as they usually are at the club. I’ve never really gotten a good up close look at him. Looking up, his dark, deep eyes meet mine, and I freeze mid-step. Even though I take every precaution not to be recognized, I am terrified he knows who I am.
“Hmm, they,” Mitch says around a bite, arching a brow in Luke’s direction. “Got everything you needed. So I’m assuming it’s her car we’re fixing, since I didn’t buy any Plymouth parts?
“This is Mom’s neighbor, Kionna Slade.” Luke says gesturing to me. “Ki, this is Mitchell Taylor. He works at the shop too; well ‘work’ is a bit of a loose term I guess. Isn’t it Mitch?”
“Luke, you bought so much.” Audrey says, sitting beside Mitch. Looking up to me, she smiles. “Ki, have a seat.”
“No, thank you,” I reply, taking a step back toward the double doors. “I really should be getting home. I’ve got a disaster of a kitchen to handle.” I add, thinking back to the soap and water covered tile that I left before.
All eyes are on me, “Nonsense,” Audrey says, opening a small bottle of orange juice. “I never got to properly thank you for being so helpful the last couple days, so it’s settled. Sit.”
Looking around, my gaze runs over the pool and finally stopping on my house. So close, yet so far. Luke’s hand, at the small of my back, forces me toward the table. “Plotting your escape?” He whispers into my ear. “Or do you have some unknown fear of deli meat I should know about?”
Squaring my shoulders, I glare at him over my shoulder making him wink at me. Ugh. How does he have me hot for him one minute then absolutely wanting to kick him in the junk the next? Luke steers me so that I’ll be sitting between him and Mitch.
Perfect, just fucking perfect.
Unwrapping his sandwich, Mitch’s eyes move between Luke and me. “I know you from somewhere,” He blurts, studying me carefully.
Shit. “Um, I…” I start, for sure that he’s figured it out. Of course, I don’t want them knowing what I do for a living. The last thing I need is for regular like Mitch to know where I live or my real name.
“No, you don’t,” Luke growls, pointing a fry at Mitch.
“Whatever. I never forget a face,” he counters, winking at me. “Especially a beautiful one. I’ll figure it out, eventually.”
“I’m sure it will come to you,” Audrey says, smiling at Mitch before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Audrey is in her zone. Happy to make conversation with everyone while we eat. It’s very clear she’s been lonely for a while with no one in this big house but her and the cat. I don’t know how far into the meal it is, but at some point I begin to feel comfortable. Listening to Luke and Mitch tease and joke with each other, all while Audrey and I laugh and talk about random things. I can feel Luke’s eyes on me when I talk about growing up back East. “It was just Mom and I as far back as I can remember.” I can’t help smiling sadly, thinking back isn’t something I do often. It hurts too much. “But, I loved it. She never let me see how hard it must have been to raise me alone. We were a team. She was my best friend, in a lot of ways, and she will always be my hero.”
“She sounds like a remarkable woman,” Luke says, and I nod.
“Yes, she was.” I reply, clearing my throat to force the tears back. “I’ll always be thankful for the twenty one years I had with her.” My eyes dart to the pool in an attempt to keep it together. I haven’t cried for her in a long time and I am not about to do it here in front of them.
Audrey
He looks different from his usual inebriated self. He looks stockier up close, his broad shoulders not slumped as they usually are at the club. I’ve never really gotten a good up close look at him. Looking up, his dark, deep eyes meet mine, and I freeze mid-step. Even though I take every precaution not to be recognized, I am terrified he knows who I am.
“Hmm, they,” Mitch says around a bite, arching a brow in Luke’s direction. “Got everything you needed. So I’m assuming it’s her car we’re fixing, since I didn’t buy any Plymouth parts?
“This is Mom’s neighbor, Kionna Slade.” Luke says gesturing to me. “Ki, this is Mitchell Taylor. He works at the shop too; well ‘work’ is a bit of a loose term I guess. Isn’t it Mitch?”
“Luke, you bought so much.” Audrey says, sitting beside Mitch. Looking up to me, she smiles. “Ki, have a seat.”
“No, thank you,” I reply, taking a step back toward the double doors. “I really should be getting home. I’ve got a disaster of a kitchen to handle.” I add, thinking back to the soap and water covered tile that I left before.
All eyes are on me, “Nonsense,” Audrey says, opening a small bottle of orange juice. “I never got to properly thank you for being so helpful the last couple days, so it’s settled. Sit.”
Looking around, my gaze runs over the pool and finally stopping on my house. So close, yet so far. Luke’s hand, at the small of my back, forces me toward the table. “Plotting your escape?” He whispers into my ear. “Or do you have some unknown fear of deli meat I should know about?”
Squaring my shoulders, I glare at him over my shoulder making him wink at me. Ugh. How does he have me hot for him one minute then absolutely wanting to kick him in the junk the next? Luke steers me so that I’ll be sitting between him and Mitch.
Perfect, just fucking perfect.
Unwrapping his sandwich, Mitch’s eyes move between Luke and me. “I know you from somewhere,” He blurts, studying me carefully.
Shit. “Um, I…” I start, for sure that he’s figured it out. Of course, I don’t want them knowing what I do for a living. The last thing I need is for regular like Mitch to know where I live or my real name.
“No, you don’t,” Luke growls, pointing a fry at Mitch.
“Whatever. I never forget a face,” he counters, winking at me. “Especially a beautiful one. I’ll figure it out, eventually.”
“I’m sure it will come to you,” Audrey says, smiling at Mitch before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Audrey is in her zone. Happy to make conversation with everyone while we eat. It’s very clear she’s been lonely for a while with no one in this big house but her and the cat. I don’t know how far into the meal it is, but at some point I begin to feel comfortable. Listening to Luke and Mitch tease and joke with each other, all while Audrey and I laugh and talk about random things. I can feel Luke’s eyes on me when I talk about growing up back East. “It was just Mom and I as far back as I can remember.” I can’t help smiling sadly, thinking back isn’t something I do often. It hurts too much. “But, I loved it. She never let me see how hard it must have been to raise me alone. We were a team. She was my best friend, in a lot of ways, and she will always be my hero.”
“She sounds like a remarkable woman,” Luke says, and I nod.
“Yes, she was.” I reply, clearing my throat to force the tears back. “I’ll always be thankful for the twenty one years I had with her.” My eyes dart to the pool in an attempt to keep it together. I haven’t cried for her in a long time and I am not about to do it here in front of them.
Audrey
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