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“Because you’re looking at me different.” He glanced at her before turning his eyes back to the road. They were only aminute or two away from the garage. “I need you to listen to me because I want that smile back.”
“My smile?” Elena echoed before she rolled her eyes. She’d heard some cheesy pick-up lines, but she’d never heard that one before.
“Yeah,” he told her, his tone completely serious. “I’m already addicted to them.”
She snorted, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered in her chest at his words.
“Fine,” she grumbled, but only half-heartedly. If he wanted to explain, she’d let him explain. She wasn’t sure if she was reading more into it than she should have but there was no avoiding the little spark of hopefulness that zinged through her at the possibility of continuing with the flirtation they’d started earlier. There wasn’t any time for them to go into it now since they were pulling into the garage’s parking lot, but she’d hear him out later. “I still think it’s none of my business, but if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
Tanner opened his mouth.
“Later,” she stopped him with a shake of her head. “Right now, I need to deal with my hot mess of a morning. After work?”
“After work,” he repeated with a sigh of relief. “Can I give you a ride home?”
“Sure,” she answered, opening her passenger door when some of the guys in the garage began walking towards them. Some of them were familiar faces from their visits to Medina’s. “Ya’ll here to help with the donuts?”
“Fuck yeah,” the man closest to her grunted. His long legs covered the distance between him and the boxes of pastries before she even had time to blink.
Handing him the two large flats of donuts she’d had propped up on her lap, she gave him a smile.
“Enjoy,” she chirped, ignoring Tanner’s grumbling when the man winked at her.
“Next!” Tanner yelled, handing her more donuts to distribute. “Get the fuck outta here, Cade.”
“Be nice,” Elena hissed to him as some of the guys waiting laughed.
“I see how it is,” Cade rumbled quietly with a grin of his own. His eyes were on Tanner. “Lucky fucker.”
“Spread the word,” Tanner responded with a nod that his friend returned.
“Will do.”
“What was that about?” she asked, stacking another pile of boxes to hand to the next man in line. “How the hell did you manage to carry all of these earlier?”
“I’m good with my hands,” he told her with a grin as he passed a few of them through the window on his side where another group of workers had gathered. They were circling like vultures, waiting for a chance to grab a box for themselves.
Less than a minute later, the only thing remaining in the cab was the two of them.
“I should probably get inside,” she announced unnecessarily. “The fritters you wanted are here in this bag.”
“I appreciate it, honey.” Tanner picked up the white baker bag, revealing his cell phone still sitting where they’d left it earlier. He picked it up and held it out to her. “Put your number in for me. That way I can text you at the end of the day.”
“You really want me to handle your phone again?” she asked with a wry look.
Tanner let out a sad chuckle as he shook his head. “It can’t get any worse, right?”
She hesitated for a second before accepting the device. Crossing her fingers that she wasn’t making a bad decision she texted herself from his phone. “There. Now I have your number too.”
As she was handing his cellphone back, it buzzed in her hand, the screen lighting up with a new text message.
“You know what?” She shook her head, feeling like an even bigger dumbass than before. “Don’t worry about the ride. I’ll take the bus.”
Chapter Nine
“We have to do something about Trisha.”
Vinyl looked up from the catalog he’d been flipping through as Tanner entered the backroom in a flurry.
