Read Online Too Stupid to Live(Romancelandia) by Anne Tenino - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Tenino
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a runner. Maybe both. Not at the same time, though.
Tineke followed him out the back door, still talking at him. “C’mon, you don’t want to ride the bus home after a night like that. Let me give you a ride.”
“Don’t you need to get home to your kids?”
“My husband’s there. They’re fine.”
Sam stopped in the circle of the parking lot light at the employee entrance. He turned and squeezed Tineke’s shoulder. “Really, I just need to be alone.”
She wouldn’t believe him. Girls never believed anyone wanted to lick their wounds alone; females wanted to pet and coddle and share things. It drove Sam nuts. If he needed coddling and petting, he wanted a hot guy doing it.
But Tineke cocked her head and looked at him carefully. “You really would rather be alone, wouldn’t you? Okay, hon, but I expect you to feel better by your shift Saturday. All right?”
Sam was so surprised and relieved, he hugged her. She looked dazed when he let her go, and he felt sort of proud of himself for befuddling her. Bet her ten-year-old can’t do that .
Sam walked down to the bus stop at the dark end of Fatty’s parking lot and checked his watch. Five minutes until the bus arrived. If it was actually on time. He was just debating whether to sit on the bench in the shelter when Ian’s voice nearly made him jump out of his skin.
“Sam.”
He whirled around to see Ian step out of the shadows under a tree. He could just make out a pickup behind him. “ Shit ! What is with you? Can’t you lurk in well-lit areas so I know you’re there? My God.”
Ian stepped closer to the light. “Let me give you a ride home.” He was still wearing the suit, but he’d taken off his tie. Sam really hated how good he looked in those clothes, especially with the two top shirt buttons undone. Regardless, a tiny part of him patted itself on the back. I hooked up with him .
“No, I’m taking the bus. Go away, Ian.”
Ian looked at him silently for a long second. “Please.” Somehow, the way he said it, Sam got the feeling it wasn’t a word he often dusted off and put into use.
He hesitated. “No.”
“Sam.”
“Stop saying my name like that! Sheesh, you think that’s going to work? It’s not. Why do you even want to give me a ride home? We hooked up once because I was convenient, you know it and I know it and I’m okay with that, so you can stop feeling guilty. Go away.”
“That’s not why I feel guilty,” Ian said, as if guys felt guilty all the time for how they treated Sam. Well, they did, but they usually weren’t such persistent apologizers.
Sam felt righteously annoyed, and surely when he opened his mouth, his brain would provide a scathing retort. “Do you have to sound so reasonable ? You were a bastard.”
Miserable fail .
“I’m sorry. Let me give you a ride home, and I’ll show you how sorry I am.”
Sam’s stomach muscles clenched without his express permission. “Why does that sound like a line?”
“It’s not, I swear.” Ian hesitated, and Sam could see a smile in the corners of his lips. “Unless you want it to be.”
Sam opened his mouth to deny it.
Another miserable fail. “What are you sorry for?” he asked instead, after far too long a pause.
Ian hung his head a second, then looked back up. “For laughing at Tierney’s lame comment. That was . . . I’m sorry.”
Sam almost shrugged, but he sighed instead. At least Ian wasn’t sorry for hooking up. “Okay.”
“Okay, you’ll let me drive you home?”
“Okay, you’re sorry. It’s fine. I wish you hadn’t done it, but, whatever.”
“Let me drive you home?”
The man was a talking parrot with a limited vocabulary. And so fucking sexy in that suit. Maybe if you let him take you home, you can play businessman and delivery boy . Sam rolled his eyes at himself. Ian’s smile grew.
Sam huffed out an annoyed breath—not that he had any clue who he was annoyed with. “Okay. Drive me home already.”
The worst thing
Tineke followed him out the back door, still talking at him. “C’mon, you don’t want to ride the bus home after a night like that. Let me give you a ride.”
“Don’t you need to get home to your kids?”
“My husband’s there. They’re fine.”
Sam stopped in the circle of the parking lot light at the employee entrance. He turned and squeezed Tineke’s shoulder. “Really, I just need to be alone.”
She wouldn’t believe him. Girls never believed anyone wanted to lick their wounds alone; females wanted to pet and coddle and share things. It drove Sam nuts. If he needed coddling and petting, he wanted a hot guy doing it.
But Tineke cocked her head and looked at him carefully. “You really would rather be alone, wouldn’t you? Okay, hon, but I expect you to feel better by your shift Saturday. All right?”
Sam was so surprised and relieved, he hugged her. She looked dazed when he let her go, and he felt sort of proud of himself for befuddling her. Bet her ten-year-old can’t do that .
Sam walked down to the bus stop at the dark end of Fatty’s parking lot and checked his watch. Five minutes until the bus arrived. If it was actually on time. He was just debating whether to sit on the bench in the shelter when Ian’s voice nearly made him jump out of his skin.
“Sam.”
He whirled around to see Ian step out of the shadows under a tree. He could just make out a pickup behind him. “ Shit ! What is with you? Can’t you lurk in well-lit areas so I know you’re there? My God.”
Ian stepped closer to the light. “Let me give you a ride home.” He was still wearing the suit, but he’d taken off his tie. Sam really hated how good he looked in those clothes, especially with the two top shirt buttons undone. Regardless, a tiny part of him patted itself on the back. I hooked up with him .
“No, I’m taking the bus. Go away, Ian.”
Ian looked at him silently for a long second. “Please.” Somehow, the way he said it, Sam got the feeling it wasn’t a word he often dusted off and put into use.
He hesitated. “No.”
“Sam.”
“Stop saying my name like that! Sheesh, you think that’s going to work? It’s not. Why do you even want to give me a ride home? We hooked up once because I was convenient, you know it and I know it and I’m okay with that, so you can stop feeling guilty. Go away.”
“That’s not why I feel guilty,” Ian said, as if guys felt guilty all the time for how they treated Sam. Well, they did, but they usually weren’t such persistent apologizers.
Sam felt righteously annoyed, and surely when he opened his mouth, his brain would provide a scathing retort. “Do you have to sound so reasonable ? You were a bastard.”
Miserable fail .
“I’m sorry. Let me give you a ride home, and I’ll show you how sorry I am.”
Sam’s stomach muscles clenched without his express permission. “Why does that sound like a line?”
“It’s not, I swear.” Ian hesitated, and Sam could see a smile in the corners of his lips. “Unless you want it to be.”
Sam opened his mouth to deny it.
Another miserable fail. “What are you sorry for?” he asked instead, after far too long a pause.
Ian hung his head a second, then looked back up. “For laughing at Tierney’s lame comment. That was . . . I’m sorry.”
Sam almost shrugged, but he sighed instead. At least Ian wasn’t sorry for hooking up. “Okay.”
“Okay, you’ll let me drive you home?”
“Okay, you’re sorry. It’s fine. I wish you hadn’t done it, but, whatever.”
“Let me drive you home?”
The man was a talking parrot with a limited vocabulary. And so fucking sexy in that suit. Maybe if you let him take you home, you can play businessman and delivery boy . Sam rolled his eyes at himself. Ian’s smile grew.
Sam huffed out an annoyed breath—not that he had any clue who he was annoyed with. “Okay. Drive me home already.”
The worst thing
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