“I’ve never seen a man that pretty in real life. It’s like he’s not even human.”
“Trust me, he bleeds.” I’m one of the rare few who knows where his scars are.
“So, are you glad he’s back?”
“I want to be, but we’re beyond complicated.”
“Scared of getting hurt again?”
Tobias doesn’t hurt. He murders hurt, he makes hurt seem like a trip on a merry-go-round, and I got off his ride eight months ago.
Latching a newly loaded napkin dispenser shut, I look to see him keeping rapid conversation with the older woman. “I gave him an ultimatum almost a year ago, and he’s just now coming around.”
“It’s always like that, right?” Opening the register, she exchanges some of her tips for larger bills and pockets the money in her apron. That one simple act brings me back to a different time and place. Triple Falls, smiling Selma and her tortillas. A lifetime ago.
“It’s always like what?”
“You finally get it together enough to get over them—live without them—and bam, they show up on your doorstep expecting you to feel the same way. My momma always said, ‘Don’t ever count on a man to realize his wrongs on your emotional timeline ’cause men always take way longer to come around and deal with their feelings. They’re emotionally stunted.’”
“Never have more truer words been spoken.” It’s taken my stunted Frenchman too many unforgivable years to come around. That’s what I’m having the hardest time with. More than that, I’m not sure my heart can handle another spin on his merry-go-round.
“Well, better late than never, right? I swear I’ve never seen eyes like that in my life. I don’t know how you’re handling this.”
“Stop staring, or he’ll know we’re talking about him.”
Not even a second later, his eyes lift, and he smirks.
Bastard.
We both burst back into motion, which makes us look even more ridiculous. “So, you’re playing mouse with that lion? No offense, but it looks like he could swallow you whole.”
I scowl.
“Sorry, but it’s the truth. I feel the tension between you two, and you look like a geyser about to blow, and he…well, if a man looked at me like that, I would probably strip naked without being aware of it.”
She nudges me, and I nudge her back—hard.
“Oh, testy. Yeah, definitely holding out on him. You don’t look freshly fucked. You just look…fucked.” She giggles, and I glare before winding up and snapping her with my rag.
“Ouch!”
“Tell me why I hired you?”
“For my sparkling, no-bullshit personality?”
“Yeah, well, since we’re in the business of honesty, when are you going to put our cook out of his misery?”
She glances back to Travis and wrinkles her nose. “I can’t go there. I dated his brother in high school.”
When I wince, she misinterprets. “Exactly. I mean, how can you date a man’s brother and then—”
“Marissa, order up,” Travis calls, and I’m thankful for the interference.
I glance at Tobias, and he reads my expression. When I retreat to my office, he’s right behind me before I get a chance to close the door.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Look, our…drama is distracting the staff.”