Heartburn (Love By Design 3)

“I just wanted to know what you did between the time I dropped you off at Ryder’s camp until now.” I dared not look away. Looking away was akin to admitting fault so I stared back stonewalling pretending to focus on a point over her right shoulder and into the diner’s mirrored wall behind her. Tilting back in the booth across from her I settled in for a long fight watching her sip her mint chocolate chip milkshake. Once you caught the tiger’s eye you didn’t give in.

“Oh no pretty boy,” she wagged her finger. “You’re asking if I fooled around with anyone.”

“No.” I denied.

Her narrowed eyes told me she was on to me.

“I already told you my roommate is all over Ryder West like peanut butter and jelly.” Damn she was good.

“Sorry. I think the way we left things just messed with my head you know?” It really had. No other woman had me rethinking my exit strategy before. No other woman had me riffling through report documents like a pervert to find her contact information either.

“Even if I had,” she held up her hand to stop me from commenting. “It’s none of your business and I already told you I didn’t.”

She picked at a gravy fry putting me firmly in my caveman place. She bit the end and then offered the other side to me which I took letting my teeth graze her finger suggestively su

cking the salty gravy off.

“Ogre.” She spat back rubbing her finger on her napkin. I grunted chewing the fry as she smiled satisfied with her pretty little self. It was then I took notice the delicate dark wings of her eyebrows. I was fascinated that the right one was more upturned during this inquisition. I wanted to run my finger over it before reaching into her nest of long hair with purple tips. She was the woman who made me take notice of things I never would have before.

Familiar bickering inside the diner advised me that we wouldn’t be on our own much longer. There were only two people filled with that much animosity for each other before they started hooking up like wild animals when no one was looking. Those two must have thought we were all stupid turning a blind eye to their marathon sessions of hate fucking.

“And what do we have here?” Part of me wanted to crawl under the table seeing my friends Kristen and Damien standing at the side of our table. Damien leaned over the booth making his way in to sit next to my girl. Kristen’s face presented a classic smirk that won her a runner up spot in the county fair’s beauty pageant. I’m well aware that before the day is over I’ll have Hunter calling me wanting to know why Taylor is bugging him about my lady friend. You’d think the dudes were worse at town gossip than girls at this point masking it behind pool, twenty-five cent wings, and beer night.

The introduction isn’t forced, but it may as well be. I wave my arm dramatically welcoming them on our diner date. “Lia, these are my longtime friends Kristen and Damien. We all went to school here in New Paltz.”

“Ah, the oldies but goodies.” She murmured between sips of the bright green milkshake.

“That’s right.”

“So, Lia tells us more about yourself.” Damien leaned in as if what she’ll say is some secret worth blowing his mind. He drew out my temptation to punch first and ask questions later. Now I understood Hunter’s daily dilemma.

“Quit it Damien.” I eyeballed him back letting him know payback was a bitch.

“Personal space douche-canoe.” Kristen slid in next to me ogling her on again this week boyfriend and longtime victim of her torture.

“Right, Pebbles.” Damien eased off and waved the waitress down to bring fresh coffees for our new foursome.

“I’m a student at the University.”

I watched Kristen give a shark grin as if there was fresh blood in the water. She was a tough cookie introducing outside girls too.

“It’s a great school.” Kristen offered.

“Well, I haven’t declared a major yet, but this photography seminar I’m taking is really fun.” Lia fiddled with the straw on her drink.

“Hmm.” I knew I could ease the awkwardness, but part of me felt petty as wrong as it was for her not answering my earlier question. Did she or didn’t she go back to that dick? Or some other dick? Any dick really. The amount of dick possible just pissed me off.

“So…how did you two kids meet?” Damien pressed again. This asshole already knew the story, but he was looking for fodder to peddle over my head at another convenient time.

“It couldn’t have been on campus.” Kristen pointed out sipping over the rim of her coffee cup. I could see feathers ruffling. Of course one of them would harp on the age difference thing. Jerks. I stayed quiet to see how it would play out.

“Look, is this an inquisition?” Ah, there was my sassy girl pushing back her milkshake. I nudged her leg with my knee under the table reminding her I was here. Nothing bad was going to happen even if my friends were being nosy little shits.

Kristen busted out laughing, her serious expression long gone. “Oh Damien, you dolt, this is the Lia that’s tied up Whit for weeks.”

We both sputtered our drinks. “Well, not figuratively…that I know of.” Kristen winked and I wanted to kill her. Maim really and she, like her troll half didn’t stop. “This is his woodland sprite. God you’re dumb love.” Kristen sipped her coffee, a mental guru having figured this all out.

“Pixie.” I muttered. My woodland pixie.