Jake had our chairs right next to each other and an arm braced along the back of my chair. “How you doing?”
“I’m good,” I promised him. “But I really have to do homework this time.”
He traced his thumb against the side of my hand. “I wish the library had private rooms.”
Just the suggestion had me clenching my thighs together, and I frowned at him. “Not at school.”
“But…”
“Not. At. School.”
He pouted and it was adorable, but his eyes were laughing. “Fine, I’ll wait. Can I come over tonight?”
If he did… all the ideas rolling through my head left me more than a little warm. “I have to make my dessert for tomorrow’s French class and finish the video. So, if you come over…”
“You don’t want me to come over because I’ll distract you,” Jake said slowly, and his smile grew.
“Well, yes.”
“Even if I promise I’ll be good?”
I rolled my eyes then tapped his nose much as Archie had done to me earlier. “You’re not being good now.”
Then I looked at the chapter I had open. I really needed to finish it and get these notes done. Jake leaned over and whispered right against my ear, “Bad is better, but I can be good, Frankie. Whatever you need.”
A shiver raced over my skin and my nipples went tight. It was like I could feel him touching them all over again. So. Not. Helpful.
“And I have to tell you,” he said, his lips so close I could swear they brushed my skin every time he spoke. “All I can think about is what you don’t have on under your shorts.”
Heat swarmed through me. I’d made it most of the day not thinking about the fact that Jake had gone commando and so had I. He’d watched me pull on my shorts and whistled. There was something really damn bad about that, even if no one else could see.
Course, now all I could think about was the fact he was commando and his missing boxers were still at my place. He hadn’t taken them out on his way to the SUV. His backpack had already been in the car.
I bumped his leg then stared at his textbook meaningfully. “Behave and I’ll think about it.”
He pulled his arm off my chair, but he rested his hand on my thigh and played with my fingers under the table as I worked to get the reading done.
It was definitely a distraction.
By the time we made it AP Euro, I pointed him to a desk one away from mine and refused his pout. “If I don’t get this done now, I’ll be up even later tonight.” I wouldn’t have time tomorrow with the date, and I definitely wouldn’t have time on Saturday between work and the party. Then Sunday I had work and a date with Jake. No, I had to take advantage of the work time while I had it.
I finished my reading and notes in record time, then got the outline done for the first paper we had due in lit and managed to get all of my calculus finished. That left making my French project again and finishing putting together the video.
When the bell rang, Jake helped me slide on my backpack and then held out his hand. “Thank you,” I told him as we headed out.
“You’re welcome.”
Halfway to my car, he murmured, “Going commando at work, too?”
“I think not,” I said, wishing like hell my face didn’t turn into a hot zone whenever he teased me like that. I’d like to have a little better control over my responses.
“I’m going to pretend you did,” he promised. “When Bubba and I stop by, I’m going to pretend. You’ll know it, and I’ll know.”
He was killing me.
In all the right ways.
Laughing, I followed him out the door and then paused. There was a vase with four yellow roses on my car. Coop just smirked as Ian stared at the roses with a frown and Jake scowled.
“Who the hell is this asshat?”
“He’s not an asshat,” I scolded him and tugged my hand away as I hurried to the car.
“You don’t know that he isn’t,” Jake argued.
“You don’t know he is,” I countered.
“Frankie,” Ian said, rubbing the back of his neck. “This is getting a little weird.”
“What, that someone is leaving me flowers?” I liked them. “
“Someone who doesn’t sign their cards and you’re getting more and more each day. It’s a little weird,” Coop admitted.
Maybe it was. “You know, lately I’ve been getting a lot of weird.” I searched the vase and found the note tucked against the side.
When it comes to sending a joyful message, yellow roses are the best. In fact, they are the traditional symbol of friendship. Like your warm, sunny disposition, these roses light up a room. They’re the perfect way for me to say, thanks for being you…
Tears unexpectedly pricked my eyes. It was the sweetest message yet, and I had no idea who was sending them. Based on the varying hostile reactions from Jake and Ian, they weren’t it. I’d kind of thought Archie had been, but this was so weird, and he’d been so irritated earlier that morning. Archie did big extravagant things, but now I wasn’t so sure. When I looked at Coop, he raised his hands.
“Seriously, not it. Wish I’d thought of it. You really like them,” he said slowly. That only served to make Ian and Jake scowl harder.
“I’m saying it right now, I don’t like this. If someone wants to make a move they should at least let you know who they are.” Jake reached for the note, but I tucked it against my chest. It was typed. He wasn’t going to learn anything from it.
“Maybe they aren’t making a move, maybe they’re just being nice to me.” I sniffed at the roses.
“Maybe,” Ian said, but he sounded skeptical.
“Guys, no one has ever given me flowers before…”
“I did,” Coop argued. When we all stared at him, he shrugged. “I picked you three daisies when we went on that field trip to the arboretum.”
Oh. He had. I laughed. “I forgot about that.”
“So there, I was the first guy to ever give you flowers.” His smirk took on an almost triumphant note.
With a roll of his eyes, Jake said, “When you were five. It doesn’t count.”
“Still better than you, big man,” Coop retaliated.
“And on that note,” I said before any of them could start. “You both have football, and I have to get changed for work.”
Jake’s smile shifted when I said changed.
“See you later?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Ian murmured, not asking as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “We’ll see you for dinner after practice.”
“Definitely,” Jake said, then he gave me a kiss on the other corner of my mouth and rested his hand against my hip. The light squeeze had me reddening again, dammit.
“Go away,” I told them and then turned to the car.
Once in the car, Coop carried my roses for me as I drove. “You really haven’t gotten flowers before?”
“Nope. Sorry I forgot about the daisies.”
“It’s no problem, they were kind of wilted and sad.” Coop turned the roses around. “Do you like roses?”
“I love them. They’re my favorite flower. I kind of thought it had to be one of you guys, the sweet cards and the fact they mean so many different things.”
“I wish like hell it was me, Frankie. I’d totally take the credit.”
“You don’t need roses to take credit with me,” I reminded him.
When we got to the apartments, he stopped me from turning the car off. “Before you go? I know our date is Monday, but I want you to remember this…” Then he kissed me. It was so gentle, the press of his lips tickled mine. Gentle, sweet and then, he nudged my mouth open a little and while he teased me with his tongue, he didn’t deepen the kiss. My heart did a little shake as he lifted his head and then he smiled.
“What?” I licked my lips.
“That was more than I what I thought it would be,” he said. Then kissed me gently. “Have a good night at work. Text me when you’re h
ome?”
I nodded a little dumbly. He held on to my roses until I was out of the car, then passed them back carefully.
“Monday, Frankie,” he said, walking backward. “You and me. It’s going to be fun.”
Inside the apartment, the emptiness hit me. I’d spent the day surrounded by my best friends, teasing, laughing, making plans and getting kissed. Then I came home to—Tiddles meowed at me and I smiled.
Well, I had my cats and I had a lot of dates.
Being with them was so much better than wondering when Mom would make it home.
I checked my phone. No texts. No calls. No surprises, really.
She wasn’t a demonstrative person. If I needed her, I had to ask.
Shaking off that feeling, I glanced down at the cats swarming me. “Yes, yes, let me change. Then I’ll feed you beasts.”
In my room, the roses joined the others and they looked spectacular. I glanced down at the note then at the roses. I had no idea who sent those but… I really did love them.
My rumpled bed reminded me of the morning. I smoothed it out, then carefully picked up Jake’s boxers and slid them into my laundry. I’d take care of them later. For now, I had to change and get to work.
A thrill skated through me as I changed. I’d told Jake I wasn’t going commando at work, but you know what…
I kind of like feeling just a bit naughty, and I liked that he planned to think of me that way anyway.
On the way to the kitchen to feed the cats, I paused and caught my breath. If I invited Jake over tonight, he’d think we could play more. While I wasn’t opposed, I also wasn’t sure that wasn’t even faster than my zero to sixty that morning.
If Coop came over, we’d all have a reason to keep our hands to ourselves. Coop—Coop was worried about being left out.
“Decide after work, Frankie,” I told myself. “Right now, move your ass.”
Yeah. Good talk.
Chapter Nineteen
There’s the Rub
If anything, work on Thursday proved a hundred times worse than Wednesday. Rachel Manning parked at the counter and nothing dislodged her. She had the seat right at the end, so I had to pass her every time I moved out to take care of the tables. Cheryl had come in with her, but unlike Rachel, she apparently had other places to go.
When Rachel pulled out her books and actually started doing homework while sipping on a shake, I was oddly grateful. It meant she wasn’t giving me those weird, assessing looks anymore. Yes, she saw me kiss Ian in the parking lot. Great. Call me, paranoid, but it felt like she’d judged me. Or at least, judged something about me.
Jake and Ian showed up a little later than the day before, but this was their last practice before Friday night’s game. Their arrival also signaled the rush. Football players, their girlfriends, and families among others poured in the doors. A lot of take out orders, full stations on both sides, and blenders that never turned off. Marsha, our manager, didn’t wait to be called out. She all but apparated as soon as the jingling on the door took on an almost rhythmic tone.
When I brought Jake and Ian their shakes, they both cast me apologetic looks. “We should never have told the team about this place,” Ian said, the curve of his lips tugging at me.
“It’s almost cute that you think this is your fault,” I told him, then glanced between the two. “It’s a gonna be a few before the burgers are ready. Lots of orders going in.”
“Take your time,” Jake said, and he ran his gaze over me just like he promised. Terrible boy. Yes, he was picturing me commando. The heat creeping up my neck was almost as bad as the hickey I’d made sure the work shirt hid.
“I plan on it,” I said and then took a deliberate step before I glanced back. “Oh, and Jake? That thing you asked me about earlier? I decided on yes.”
“About after work?”
“Nope. The other one.”
Confusion clouded his eyes for a moment, so I left him to stew on it. I was two steps away when he muttered, “Oh. Hell…”
Maybe that was a little bit mean, but if he was going to tease me, I planned to return the favor. A little niggle of guilt for leaving him on the spot with Ian, but I needed the boost for the shift.
Zabra cast a look at me as we met by the shake machines. “You want to run food or make shakes?”
“Run food.” Making shakes got tiring.
She chuckled. “Next time you do the shakes.”
“Deal.” I left her with my list and turned the window. Every order came with its check, so I knew where they went. I started hustling out all the burgers. By the time I was done, Zabra had my shakes ready, and I got those to the tables, then did a sweep and we washed, rinsed, and repeated.
“Hey, Frankie,” Rachel snagged my attention on my way past.
Okay. Here it comes… I braced.
“Can I get you something?” Her shake was almost empty, and she’d finished her burger and fries a long time ago.
“You have time for a quick question?” She motioned to the lit textbook she had open in front of her. Of all the things I expected, I hadn’t been prepared for that one.
“Um…” I did a quick scan of the restaurant; we were slowing—but only just barely. Jake and Ian were in the middle of an intense debate that required paper and pen. There were also a couple of orders in the window. “Let me get this order in and those out, and I’ll be right back?”
“Great,” she said, with a quick smile. An actual smile, not that intense calculating and rather disturbing smile she wore that never made it all the way to her eyes.
Who was she and what had she done with Rachel? “Do you need more?” I motioned to the shake.
“I might be sick if I have anymore. Can I just get a coke? So I can still sit here?”
I wasn’t going to chase her out if she was done ordering, but sure, why not? “I’ll bring it with me.”
“Thanks.” Another grin.
Was that the Twilight Zone music? It took me more like seven minutes before I got back to Rachel with her coke. I cleared away her shake glass and the spot next to her at the bar.
“What’s up?”
She focused on me, not her book. “We’re working on analyzing poetry and I have to do Remembrance.”
“By Brontë?”
Surprise flickered over her face before she nodded. Turning her book, she faced it toward me. Yep, I remembered that poem. I skimmed it then checked with Rachel again. It was a terrifically sad poem full of anguish and longing. Not my favorite. “She wants us to break it down by paragraphs and detail what is being communicated in each section.”
That sounded rather normal for an assignment. so I nodded.
“My question is—how do you analyze eight paragraphs in depth when it’s depressing as Hell and I can’t decide whether the author wanted to kill herself or not?”
Okay, that was a loaded question. I did a quick scan of the restaurant and Ian raised his brows. I nodded then looked at Rachel. “Okay, short answer? She doesn’t want to kill herself. If you read it through, she’s devastated. It’s been time since he died, and she is trying to figure out if, in the time she’s mourned him, if the love she felt has depleted. If he would he forgive her if it had—but she’s never felt that way about anyone else, not in all those years. At the same time, she can’t wallow in that sorrow, because she still has a life and it can still be lived.”
Rachel stared at me, mouth open faintly and her eyes wondering.
“It’s depressing,” I told her. “But she’s not suicidal.” I tapped the page. “Try it again. I’ll be back.”
There was an order up, so I snagged it for Zabra, who wasn’t readily visible—probably grabbing a cigarette out back real fast—and swung the plates over to her table. After I finally reached Ian and Jake, they both grinned at me. Their food had long since been eaten and their shakes emptied. They were literally just taking up space, which normally I’d mind because turning tables meant I got more tips.
“We were thinkin
g,” Ian said with a nod toward the clock. “You’re out of here, soon, right?”
I glanced over. It was twenty to nine. Holy crap, I was. “Yeah…” The shift had blown past me like I was sitting still—maybe because I hadn’t stopped running. “What’s up?”
“Jake said you’ve got that project for French class, which is the dessert you made for Mathieu and the video, right?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, and Jake huffed out a sigh.
“Bubba wants to swing by, too. Archie texted—said he’d pick up stuff on his way over.” Jake wasn’t fond of the idea. I’d already thought about inviting Coop to give myself a buffer.
“Guys, that’s great…”
“Okay, I’ll let Archie know.”
“Wait,” I placed my hand over Jake’s on the phone. “I was saying that’s great, but I have all the clips. I just need to edit them together. I’ve got all the stuff I need for the dessert, too.”
“You don’t want company?” Disappointment echoed in Ian’s statement.
“More like, I need to do homework, I need to do the project, and if everyone is there, we’re going to be up super late.” I glanced at Jake. “I need to get some sleep, too, and so do you guys. Big game tomorrow.”
“Not that big,” Ian muttered.
“You’re still meeting us afterward, right?” Jake stared at me hopefully.
“With Archie,” I reminded him.
“Right. Arch.” He tapped the table.
I glanced around, we were relatively quiet, but I still had to do my job. Rachel had twisted in her seat and lifted a hand. I nodded.
“Look, I have to get back to work. But not tonight, okay? I’ll see you guys tomorrow, and we’ve got a big weekend.”
“Text when you get home?” Jake asked and Ian nodded.
“Yeah, just let us know you’re home and fine.”
“Sure,” I said, picking up their empty shake glasses. I’d left their check earlier. “You guys text me, too, okay? I want to make sure you find your way home safely.”
They both gave me an odd look, and I grinned. I’d had this job since the day I turned sixteen. I’d been working these shifts for almost two years, but I didn’t recall specifically texting them to say I was home before. We’d texted, sure, but not for one singular reason.
Rules and Roses: Untouchable Book One Page 25