Unexpected Love Story (Love 2)

He looks down at his feet and then up again. “It was one date.”

“You’re an asshole,” I say under my breath, walking away from him. This man pushes my buttons more than anyone on this planet, and I have to make it stop. My head is telling me it’s time to cut the strings while my gut is telling me it’s not.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gabe

Fuck, the minute I said that I dated Felicia, I saw Crystal’s face go from worried about her cousin to about to stab me in the eyeball with the pen in her hand.

I tried to get her to talk to me, but each time, she walked out of the room to a bunch of people. When the clock strikes six o’clock, I walk out of the office just as she is walking out. “Do you want to take one car there?” I ask her, and she answers with just one word.

“Nope.” I know, I fucking know, this isn’t going to bode well for any of us. Or at least me.

“I know you’re probably pissed that I lied to you, but …”

“Oh, I’m not pissed you lied to me.” She turns to look at me. “I mean, if I went out with Alan on a date once, and then by chance you saw me holding his hand the day after. And you asked me about it, and I told you we were just friends, but then you find out that I played tonsil hockey with him, it would be okay, right?”

“Did you fucking go on a date with Alan?” I ask her, my eyes now glaring at her. I’ll fucking kill him. I’ll break his fucking hands.

She throws her hands up. “You’re incredible,” she says, walking away to her car when she stops at mine. “Oh my god,” she says, pointing at my tires.

“What the fuck is going on?” I say, getting down to see that they have been sliced again. I look around the parking lot. “This is insane. Someone is doing this on purpose.”

“Well, you pissed off the wrong person, I guess,” she says, getting into her car. “I can see how that could happen.” As she closes the door, I open the passenger door, getting in the car and taking out my phone. “Get out.”

“Just drive,” I tell her. “Hey, Harrold,” I tell my mechanic who answers the phone. “Can you send a tow to my office for my truck?”

“Sure thing. What’s wrong with it?” he asks me.

“Someone sliced my tires again.”

“Shit, you done pissed off the wrong woman this time.” I close my eyes as I feel a headache beginning to form. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

We arrive at D’Amore right as I hang up the phone. “I’m putting a camera in my truck,” I say to Crystal who walks in front of me.

“I’m not driving you home. I hope you know,” she says as she looks around the restaurant for Hailey.

“You have to drive me home,” I say while I follow her.

“Hey, there,” Crystal says, sitting down next to Mila and kissing her cheek. “Hello, Princess. Blake.”

“What happened to you?” Walker asks me when I sit in the chair next to him.

“Someone sliced my brand-new tires again,” I say while I raise my hand to flag down the waitress. “Can I have two beers please?” I ask her and then look around at the table “Anyone else want anything?” Shrugging, I smile at her. “That’s it.”

“You ordered two beers?” Walker asks, laughing at me.

I put up both my hands. “I have two hands, and after the day I’ve had, I should have doubled that order.”

Crystal picks up a menu and mumbles, “Maybe if you weren’t such an a-hole, people wouldn’t slice your tires.” I don’t bother to answer her. Instead, I just glare at her, but she turns and ignores me. That ass is going to be beet red tonight. I don’t bother interacting with anyone or listening to Mila ask Blake questions about his job.

I’ve closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, when Hailey says she needs to go to the bathroom and so does Walker. The waitress places the beers in front of me.

“Well, isn’t that convenient?” I say as I down one beer.

Walker pushes my shoulder when he walks by.

“Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself.” I lean over, extending my hand. “I’m Gabe. Walker’s cousin and Crystal’s—”

“Boss,” Crystal finishes. “He’s my boss.”

“Nice to meet you.” Blake shakes my hand, smiling. When the waitress comes back, we order a shit ton of food.

“Gabe has lived here his whole life,” Crystal starts. “Dated a lot also.” She looks at me. “Isn’t that right?”

The meal runs smoothly till the bill comes and everyone fights for it. Well, everyone but me. I sit here glaring at Crystal while she smiles at me. I make a list in my head of how I’m going to torture her.