Inked

“Sorry, Olivia, I’m just…” I drag my eyes off the other table. “I’m here. What’s going on?”

“I’m trying to see if you’re ready to get out of here. I’m done eating.”

“You haven’t eaten a damn thing, Olivia.” I roll my eyes. “Get some ice cream in you.”

I don’t want to leave yet. I’m not ready. I’m still watching the show unfold in front of me, and I don’t want it to end. The red head might have been rude back there, but she seems like she’s being polite enough to her friend. A little cold, perhaps, but overall, she is holding it together well.

“What the fuck, Isaac? What the hell is going on? Who are you looking at?”

Olivia twists around in her seat to see and I think she clocks on to who I’m looking at. Her face flames with red and she looks absolutely furious. By the time her eyes meet mine again I know the jig is up. Me and Olivia aren’t heading to bed tonight… and actually, I’m okay with that.

“You’re a fucking asshole, Isaac, I hope you know that. I know you’re a bit of a playboy, but doing it right in front of my face is just bullshit, and I think you damn well know it.” She grabs her bag and rises to her feet. “I’m out of here and I don’t want you to follow me. Or call me ever again. We’re through here.”

Of course, she wants me to follow her. She wouldn’t have said that otherwise, but I’m not going to. I’m relieved that she’s leaving, I don’t want to have anything to do with her.

I sit back in my seat and finish my drink, continuing to openly stare at the red head. The real woman that I want to go home with tonight. It looks like her date is about to wrap up, which might be time for me to go and make my appearance known again. I don’t know which way it’s going to go, but I’m sure as hell that I’m going to give it a try.

Isaac Janie is known for trying, for taking risks, never turning my back on a challenge.

With a confident swagger, I make my way over to their table, not even caring as people stare at me like I’m a bit crazy. The red head sees me. Her eyes drag up and she narrows her gaze at me, still looking mad. Good, I like her madness. Especially with her. She’s fiery as hell and I can’t help wanting to drag that side out of her again.

“Hey there.” I lean my hands down on the table and dart my eyes between them both. Yep, I’m starting to see what she was talking about before, he’s too boring for her, they would never be a good match. “Good to see you again.”

“Again?” the guy asks, bristling. “What do you mean again?”

I can almost see him trying to work out if I’m a threat or a business connection. It’s hilarious because he doesn’t want to be rude. That’s something I can work with, to see how far I can push him. Especially because my red haired friend isn’t saying anything yet. She’s just glaring at me in freaking silence.

“Hey there. I’m Isaac Janie.” His eyes light up. Of course he’s heard of me. “Good to meet you.”

“Oh, I’m Will. Will Mayer. I’m an accountant at…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s why you’re being so boring then.” I dismiss him. “You’re boring your date.”

His face contorts, I can see a range of confused emotions cross his face. This is a shock, he doesn’t know how to take it. “Wha… what do you mean? Boring, who? I don’t get this at all…”

I point to his date. “She’s bored as fuck of you. I heard her out on the phone, talking to her sister.”

He glances between us both. “Is this shit for real? Are you being serious, right now? Because…”

“I think that you should stop embarrassing yourself and just leave.” I pull out my wallet and toss down some notes on the table. “I’ll even pay for your meal to make sure that you aren’t out of pocket. I can’t make up for the wasted time, but I can save you a few dollars, which should help you as you go home…”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” he snaps, finally cracking. “You can’t come over here and throw money at me, telling me that my date isn’t interested in me. That’s some serious shit.”

“Tell him,” I insist the red head, pointing at Will. “Tell him what’s going on right now.”

The red heads stares me down, trying to kill me with her eyes. Fuck, I love that look. It’s so hot. She’s sexy as hell when she’s mad and probably even more of a demon in the sack. I picture incredible make up sex, sending my head spinning. Fuck, I want that so bad.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she whispers in almost a demonic voice. “What is this? You can’t keep your nose out my business for even a second, can you? I don’t even know you. What the hell is your issue?”

“I just want to know if you want to leave with someone who you might actually like.”

“Are you suggesting that I like you?” She rakes her disgusted gaze up and down my body, which makes me want to laugh. “I think that I have made my opinion about you very clear. I don’t like you.”

“Tell him to get out of here,” Will insists, seeing this as a win. “To stop being so damn rude.”

“Oh no.” She falls back from the table, gathering up her belongings as she goes. “I don’t like you either. You have been rude to me all night long, you haven’t shown any sign of being pleasant, and you haven’t asked me any questions about myself aside from my tattoo… you’re an asshole, but it seems like this place is full of them tonight.” She grabs some money out of her bag. “There, I’m paying my share, not using you. But, I’m also not trying to show off my feminist values… just paying my half because it’s the right thing to do.”

With that, she turns on her heels and stalks off, her heels clipping behind her as she goes. I tilt my head to one side and stare unashamedly at her as she goes. Of course, I would much prefer her to be leaving with me, especially to see the look on Will’s face as I take her away, but it was fun anyway.