Page 86 of Hate It with You

“And I felt safe with you. I feel safe with you. I think I have since the moment we met, and that’s coming from someone with my background. I think you’d be a great teacher, but I also think you could train Tiffany or hire another woman to teach as well.” She shrugs as though her idea isn’t brilliant and one I never would’ve thought about myself.

“I love it,” I say, smiling.

“It’s something the big gyms don’t typically offer. That type of specialized training and courses.”

“You’re absolutely right. Could be something to set me apart.”

“Exactly,” she says, a little too loud, as a couple at a table near us turns their heads in our direction. When they both meet us with a glare, Beth and I turn to each other, holding in our laugh so as not to cause another disruption.

She sighs when our laughter dies down. “Ready to go home?” It’s a simple question but one that sends a buzz through my body at the sound of her calling our place home.

Nodding, I help her out of the booth. Before leaving, we crack open the kitchen door to say bye to Leo.

“Where’s my fucking fish?” Leo yells into the void that is the busy kitchen.

“Right next to you, Chef,” a shorter woman with blond hair yells back.

“Thank you, Chef,” he yells back. As he looks around, he spots us, hanging out in the doorway watching him move about the kitchen.

With an impressive swiftness, he makes his way to us. Wrapping his arms around both of us, he says, “I love you both, but get the fuck out of my kitchen.”

Beth bursts into laughter as we exit the restaurant. As we grab our coats, I don’t miss the way Graham notices us, avoiding eye contact with me the moment he spots us before eventually getting up from his spot at the bar and moving to the back of the restaurant.

Helping Beth with her coat, we step outside, the cold air hardening her nipples in a way that’s hard not to notice. Picking her up again, I whisper in her ear as we head back toward the Mustang.

“Have I told you how sexy you look in this dress tonight?”

She giggles. “I think you’ve gotten your point across, yeah.”

When we reach the car, I set her on her feet, opening the passenger side door for her, but she pauses before getting in.

“Do you think my bookstore will bounce back?” It pains me to see the hint of desperation in her eyes.

I nod before I choose my words carefully. “I think if you’re willing to open up a little, it will.”

Her eyes squint a little before asking, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve noticed the requests for book club meetups. It seems like a good start for drawing in business, yet you’ve turned them all down.”

“I guess it’s hard for me to let people in.” She gives a self-pitying smile before I continue.

Reaching my hand out, I place it on her cheek, rubbing my thumb across her skin. “You’ve let me in, right?”

With a gentle smile, she says, “I’m working on it.”

“Then maybe you can work on it with the bookstore too. And in the meantime, I’ll take a look at the finances for you and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Her smile widens as she leans up to kiss me, before dropping back down to wrap her arms around my waist and resting her head on my shoulder. “Thank you, Alex.”

I rest my lips on the top of her head, wrapping my arms tightly around her as I say, “Anything for you, baby.”

37

BETH

Over the past few weeks, while Alex and I have spent most of our evenings together, I haven’t invited him to stay the night since the night of the attack. Something about it being too intimate for my body to handle and my brain to comprehend.

Though as we stand in front of my apartment door, Alex looking as deliciously devilish as ever after he’s shown me time and time again tonight how much he loves me, I cannot bring myself to fall asleep alone another night.