Bloom

Athena

Agreeing to have dinner with Liam was a bad idea.

I knew that as soon as I left his apartment, but I promised myself that I’d give it a day or two before I sent him a text telling him that I changed my mind.

That day or two morphed into an entire week.

Now, I’m sitting across from him in a crowded restaurant while he tries to get rid of a woman who approached us as soon as we sat down.

I’m no expert on spotting former lovers, but the way she licked her lips when she saw him and tousled her brown hair, made it crystal clear that they’re more than casual acquaintances.

“I thought you were dating someone named Robin.” The woman eyes me up.

“Wren,” Liam corrects her with a glance at me. “That’s over now.”

I reach over to the basket in the middle of the table filled with warmish breadsticks. The waiter plopped it down before he took our drink orders.

It was water for both of us again.

We’re sitting in a massive seafood restaurant in the heart of Times Square. It gets high marks from tourists and New Yorkers alike because it’s part of a nationwide chain. You know exactly what you’ll get when you walk through the doors.

I admit I love shrimp and lobster as much as the next person. I’ve just never been to a place where someone dressed in a pirate costume delivers it to the table.

I hear someone shouting, “ Ahoy Matey ” in the distance.

“So Athena.” The woman enamored with Liam enunciates each syllable of my name with a tick of her finger in the air. “How long have you two been friendly?”

Taking a bite of the breadstick, I defer that question to Liam with a lift of my brows.

“If you’ll excuse us, Darcy.” Liam shifts in his chair so he’s facing me directly. “Athena and I were in the middle of a conversation.”

We weren’t, but I appreciate his effort to get her to scram.

Darcy shoots me the same look that she gave me when Liam first introduced us. He fumbled over what to call me, so I interjected and called myself his friend as I offered her my hand.

Manners matter, after all.

“If you need anything, I’m here for you.” Darcy juts her chest out. Her tits are already straining against the tight white T-shirt she’s wearing.

It would be my luck that Liam’s former lover opted to wear black leather pants the same night that I did.

&nbs

p; Her T-shirt is winning the battle over my black sweater mostly because I’m wearing a bra, and Darcy clearly isn’t.

The air conditioning in this place is working to her advantage.

Liam doesn’t take the bait. He keeps his gaze leveled on my face.

“Well, bye for now, Liam?” Her hands drop to her hips.

Is that a question?

He waves a hand over his shoulder without looking at her.

As she saunters away, shaking her ass, I break out a smile. “She seems nice.”

Laughing, he glances around. “Would you be upset if we got out of here? I know you like the food at this place, but…”