Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
I could get Jerri to swap out with me so I can take their table, but…why do I feel nervous about approaching? The hell is that? I’m Ty Lancaster. I don’t get nervous about flirting. Though flirting with a guy after hooking up with him…I’ve never done either. Not that it matters. And I’m always cooler than this.
“Well, well, look who it is,” I say, approaching the Alpha Theta Mu crew.
“Oh no,” Payton says. “We about to get food poisoning for a week, bro? Maybe some cyanide on top?”
“Tell me, is that just for the pizzas?” Ash asks. “Or are we safe with calzones?”
“As an employee here, I would never tell you that. But since you asked, I’d also never tell you what I’m gonna do to the calzones.”
The guys share a laugh—well, all but Marty, who looks anxious.
“Mart, don’t worry. I’d never kill you. Someone needs to run back and let those pledges know who did it.”
Despite the banter, I notice that the guy who’s usually the first to give me hell has been quiet, and my gaze meets his for the first time.
I’ve had those brown eyes set on me plenty of times before, but it’s different now that we’ve messed around. It sends a pulsing sensation through me, like a message my nerves are carrying to tell everything in me that we’re close to that delicious experience again.
Still, I’m tense, since I can’t really read his expression. I thought we were fine, just taking some time to process everything, but with him sitting there silent, not being his usual playful self, I’m wondering if maybe I’m wrong.
“Sorry, Lance, we weren’t expecting a president, so we didn’t have the red carpet rolled out,” I tease, since I have to rag on him a bit or the guys are gonna be sus. I’m also hoping however he reacts gives me some insight into what he’s thinking.
Lance smirks. “We’ll start with some waters. We prefer to be hydrated if we’re gonna be writhing in agony from cyanide poisoning.”
His jokey retort sets me at ease. “Three waters coming right up,” I say before spinning around.
“There are four of us,” Marty calls out.
“I noticed.”
Of course I’m gonna get them all waters. Marty should know by now that my teasing is just that.
I let Jerri know I’ll be taking their table, then serve them for the night along with my other tables. Lance and I keep exchanging looks, and I see him keying into his phone at one point, so when I get a moment, I sneak a peek and find a DM on Insta:
LANCE: The cyanide was lovely…you could hardly taste it with the crushed pepper.
I chuckle. Fuck, this guy is fun.
ME: I know what you’re doing with all this talk about me poisoning you guys. Coming for my job.
LANCE: I’d prefer just to be coming.
ME: Mean it, Stud?
LANCE: Are you fucking kidding? It’s all I’ve been thinking about the past few days.
It’s like he knows just what I need to hear.
ME: Is that why you’re stalking me at my job?
LANCE: *laughing emoji* I tried to talk them into another place, but I can’t help that Junkie’s has the best calzones. Also didn’t know if you’d be working.
ME: So you were trying to avoid me?
I’m giving him hell. But also probing to see if there is any discomfort on his end. Because if there is, I’d never want to push.
LANCE: What? No. I didn’t want to bother you.
LANCE: I know how you are with girls.
ME: Well, neither of us knows how I am with boys.
ME: I just wanted to give you time to think about what we’ve done.
ME: Make sure you’re comfortable.
And now I’m texting too much.
Lance doesn’t reply right away, which makes me nervous. Like if he doesn’t want to get together again, some part of me will suffer.
As soon as the bubble pops up, adrenaline pulses through me.
LANCE: If we both keep waiting for the other to text, we’re gonna be waiting for a long-ass time.
I could start bouncing around the break room, I’m so excited.
ME: In that case, I guess we do need to meet up again.
LANCE: I agree.
I notice Cheryl coming from the kitchen, so I slide my phone into my pocket and get back to work.
When I take the check to the Alpha Theta Mu crew, I give them the appropriate amount of hell. And while I chat with them, Lance and I keep glancing at one another, enjoying this little secret we share that none of his buddies know about—I doubt could even guess given the interactions they’ve seen between us.
As they’re heading out, the place is getting busy. It’s not even a few minutes since they left when I feel another vibration in my pocket, and I take a look.
LANCE: You want to meet up at the Omega Psi party tomorrow?