She appears to weigh her options before her shoulders sag. She closes the distance between us and pulls me in for a hug, and I squeeze her back for a second before we both let go.
“You’re an idiot.”
“I know.”
“We’re going to talk about this later.”
“I know,” I repeat.
She tosses me a rag before turning around to grab a big gray tub, then shoves it into my abs. I grunt, curling my fingers around the sides.
“Now go bus some tables.”
* * *
“APPARENTLY, THESE EGGS WERE SUPPOSED to be over easy,” I say, pressing up on my toes to see through the pass-through window into the kitchen. “Sorry, Pete.” I wince. The lady at table seven ordered scrambled, but changed her mind, and Grumpy Pete’s the only one back here, cooking for a full house.
“Not what the ticket says,” Pete grumbles.
“I know. I’m sorry,” I say again.
“Yeah, yeah.”
I tap my fingers against the counter, keeping my body close to the counter in the narrow walkway to let the other servers by. I feel heat against my back, and before I can react, a low “boo” is whispered into my ear. I lean forward as much as I can, jerking my head to see who I already know is behind me.
“Jesse,” I greet, my voice flat.
“Try to contain your enthusiasm, Allie Girl.” He smirks down at me. He smells like a distillery mixed with lingering traces of smoke, but there’s a faint, familiar scent underneath it—his soap or maybe his shampoo. It takes me back to the night at the dorm, and an image of his mop of dark hair nuzzling against my chest and my nipple in his mouth pops into my mind, unbidden. I push it away, along with the embarrassment that never ceases to follow whenever I think about it.
I shift to the side, wishing my order was up. How long does it take to fry a freaking egg?
“Are you stalking me now?” He has the audacity to ask. I look over at him, rolling my eyes.
“I work here,” I deadpan. “If anyone’s stalking, it’s you.”
“Nah. My sister called in a favor. Spending time with your cheery self is just an added bonus.”
I send Jesse a bratty smile, and finally Pete slides the plate of eggs toward me. I don’t waste any time snatching it up. “Thanks, Pete!” Pete grunts in response.
I avoid Jesse as much as I can for the rest of my shift, even though my eyes are begging to disobey me, seeking him out of their own volition. I can’t seem to escape him. Is this how it’s going to be now that he’s back? I still don’t know why he’s back. Lo hasn’t mentioned it, and there’s no way in hell I’m asking questions. She doesn’t even know I know him.
At the end of the day, I shoot a quick text to Dylan, letting him know my shift is over. He’s supposed to meet me here once I’m off. I stuff my phone into my pocket and head into the back room to grab my bag, but I halt in the hallway, hearing Jesse’s voice.
“Does it matter?” he asks, irritation evident in his tone.
“Does it matter where you’ve been disappearing to? Not really, no, but the fact that you won’t tell me says you’re in some kind of trouble.” That’s Lo, and she sounds exasperated.
“Not in any trouble,” he clips out. “I don’t need rescuing anymore, Lo. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, you’re doing a real bang-up job, Jess. First, you mysteriously have enough money for a truck, then you’re dropping out of school? I’m missing something here. Fill in the blanks.”
Jesse doesn’t respond, and then all of a sudden, he’s prowling out of the back room, heading straight toward me. I push off the wall, trying to act casual. Not expecting anyone to be lurking around the corner, he comes close to knocking me over but stops short, centimeters from me. His hands catch my upper arms, steadying both of us. I expect some sarcastic remark, something about trying to cop a feel, maybe, but it doesn’t come. I make the mistake of looking up. His tortured eyes meet mine for long seconds, his jaw clenched.
Something in his eyes gives me pause. A flash of the human behind the persona. This is Jesse. The fun-loving, hotshot lacrosse player? That’s Shep. But then something shifts. Those eyes go vacant and a slow grin spreads over his face.
“If you wanted to touch me again, all you had to do was ask.”
Annnnd, there it is.