he grabbed a couple spoons from the silverware tray.
“What’s up, man?” Chase slapped his hand into Fox’s for a casual shake.
“Hey Chase,” Fox nodded. “Just work, you know. We’ve been real busy here, Avery hasn’t sat down all week.”
My eyebrows shot up when he said my name, and I missed Chase’s response. Why was Fox making excuses for me? When I looked over at him, I saw he was looking back at me just as intently. I felt that crackle of energy between us again until Fox turned to walk away, breaking the spell. Chase’s attention was distracted by the menu and he didn’t notice our exchange or the way my eyes followed Fox’s retreating form.
“I’ll get a burger, okay? Extra fries,” he said.
“Coming right up,” I said to Fox’s back.
After I took Chase’s order, the rest of my section filled up and we lost our chance to chat. As he was settling his bill and preparing to leave, he flagged me over.
“What are your and Annabelle’s plans this weekend?” he asked.
My icy wall thawed a bit and I smiled, thinking he wanted to spend time with us. The new Chase wasn’t all that bad , I reminded myself. He had his good moments, and those always brought me right back in. I could forgive his occasional snide comments. I know he didn’t mean to be rude, he just didn’t have much of a filter these days. “I’m not sure… Did you have something fun in mind?”
He laughed. “I wish, babe, but me and the guys are going camping tomorrow! Remember?”
My shoulders sagged with disappointment, but I quickly straightened and plastered a fake half-smile on my face when I saw Fox looking curiously at me from the pass-through window. I thought for a moment. Part of my brain maybe recalled a comment about an upcoming camping trip, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Can’t wait to get away from it all for a few days, you know?” Chase continued.
“Sounds great,” I said softly. I suppose I couldn’t expect Chase to spend every free minute with me and Annabelle, doing family-type things. But it would be nice if on occasion he wanted to, instead of constantly pressuring me to get a babysitter. The fact that he preferred to come over after Annabelle went to bed bothered me too. We were a package deal, me and Annabelle, but sometimes I felt like Chase just saw her as a roadblock to his good time.
I cleared Chase’s plates as I listened to him talk about fishing and beer pong, feeling more distant from him than ever. We were young and Chase wanted to have fun, of course I understood that. But sooner or later he needed to grow up, or I wasn’t sure there was a place for him in our lives.
After Chase left and the restaurant emptied out for the afternoon, Fox came out of the kitchen again, refilling his coffee as I started my side work. Rolling silverware and refilling sugars was as tedious as it got, and I was grateful when Fox silently slid the napkins over and started helping.
“Thanks,” I said, not looking up. Every time I met his eyes I felt like he saw right into my thoughts, and it was unnerving and exciting at the same time. Definitely not a path I needed to go down when I was already feeling slighted by Chase.
“He’s wrong,” he said, and my head snapped up involuntarily. He pierced me with his cool green eyes that emoted volumes those two little words didn’t say.
“Wh– what?” You’d never know I got A’s in my Communications classes, what with my inability to form complete words or sentences around Fox.
He shifted, bringing his big shoulders closer to me as he reached for a fork to include in the roll up. “Everything he could want is already here.”
I blinked at him as I processed his words. His head was still down as he rolled the silverware, a few strands of thick honey-blond hair escaping the bandanna he used to keep it out of his face in the kitchen. I loved that stupid bandanna. Not all guys could pull off a headscarf situation and still look like a total badass,
“What’s up, man?” Chase slapped his hand into Fox’s for a casual shake.
“Hey Chase,” Fox nodded. “Just work, you know. We’ve been real busy here, Avery hasn’t sat down all week.”
My eyebrows shot up when he said my name, and I missed Chase’s response. Why was Fox making excuses for me? When I looked over at him, I saw he was looking back at me just as intently. I felt that crackle of energy between us again until Fox turned to walk away, breaking the spell. Chase’s attention was distracted by the menu and he didn’t notice our exchange or the way my eyes followed Fox’s retreating form.
“I’ll get a burger, okay? Extra fries,” he said.
“Coming right up,” I said to Fox’s back.
After I took Chase’s order, the rest of my section filled up and we lost our chance to chat. As he was settling his bill and preparing to leave, he flagged me over.
“What are your and Annabelle’s plans this weekend?” he asked.
My icy wall thawed a bit and I smiled, thinking he wanted to spend time with us. The new Chase wasn’t all that bad , I reminded myself. He had his good moments, and those always brought me right back in. I could forgive his occasional snide comments. I know he didn’t mean to be rude, he just didn’t have much of a filter these days. “I’m not sure… Did you have something fun in mind?”
He laughed. “I wish, babe, but me and the guys are going camping tomorrow! Remember?”
My shoulders sagged with disappointment, but I quickly straightened and plastered a fake half-smile on my face when I saw Fox looking curiously at me from the pass-through window. I thought for a moment. Part of my brain maybe recalled a comment about an upcoming camping trip, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Can’t wait to get away from it all for a few days, you know?” Chase continued.
“Sounds great,” I said softly. I suppose I couldn’t expect Chase to spend every free minute with me and Annabelle, doing family-type things. But it would be nice if on occasion he wanted to, instead of constantly pressuring me to get a babysitter. The fact that he preferred to come over after Annabelle went to bed bothered me too. We were a package deal, me and Annabelle, but sometimes I felt like Chase just saw her as a roadblock to his good time.
I cleared Chase’s plates as I listened to him talk about fishing and beer pong, feeling more distant from him than ever. We were young and Chase wanted to have fun, of course I understood that. But sooner or later he needed to grow up, or I wasn’t sure there was a place for him in our lives.
After Chase left and the restaurant emptied out for the afternoon, Fox came out of the kitchen again, refilling his coffee as I started my side work. Rolling silverware and refilling sugars was as tedious as it got, and I was grateful when Fox silently slid the napkins over and started helping.
“Thanks,” I said, not looking up. Every time I met his eyes I felt like he saw right into my thoughts, and it was unnerving and exciting at the same time. Definitely not a path I needed to go down when I was already feeling slighted by Chase.
“He’s wrong,” he said, and my head snapped up involuntarily. He pierced me with his cool green eyes that emoted volumes those two little words didn’t say.
“Wh– what?” You’d never know I got A’s in my Communications classes, what with my inability to form complete words or sentences around Fox.
He shifted, bringing his big shoulders closer to me as he reached for a fork to include in the roll up. “Everything he could want is already here.”
I blinked at him as I processed his words. His head was still down as he rolled the silverware, a few strands of thick honey-blond hair escaping the bandanna he used to keep it out of his face in the kitchen. I loved that stupid bandanna. Not all guys could pull off a headscarf situation and still look like a total badass,
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