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She smiled and I swore her cheeks turned pink. “Thanks, but customers expect consistency from restaurants, and I’m not known for being consistent. I season potatoes based on my mood and sometimes I’m heavy handed with one spice and go light on it the next week. That doesn’t work well in the long term.”
I shook my head. “So…you’re happy just working the bar? I thought you three wanted an ownership stake in On a Lark.”
“I do,” she said with nod. “What I really want, though, is to make On a Lark so successful we can open another location then maybe one more before we start franchising them. That’s where the real money is.”
I nodded. “Did you major in business? I know you graduated last spring—”
“Yeah, business degree, but I swear I’ve learned more from Lark than any of my classes.”
My cell rang before I could respond. I pulled it from my back pocket and frowned at the sight of Sarah’s name.
“Go ahead and take it, honey. Otherwise, she’ll probably call tomorrow.”
“What do you need, Sarah?” I answered.
She sighed. “I’m going to ignore your rudeness because I’m so relieved you finally answered.”
“You kicked me out and you expect pleasantries. Unreal. What do you want?”
She scoffed. “Seemed you’d already moved out seeing as you had so little to pack. I was calling to wish you a Merry Christmas.”
I was being a dick, and no matter what it said about me the only reason I cared was because Mickayla would hear it and I didn’t want that. “Got it. Message received.”
“Ron! Don’t hang up.”
That should have been the sign we were doomed. I didn’t mind women using my given name, but Sarah shied away from calling me Tundra. When I asked her to start calling me that, she said she wasn’t comfortable with the name. She’d finally admitted two days ago that she’d hoped I would ‘come to my senses’ and leave the club.
That would never happen.
“Are you there?” she asked.
“Your phone would beep if I weren’t. Hurry up, I’m in the middle of dinner.”
“With your brothers,” she said in a snippy tone.
“No. For the last time, what do you want?”
“I’m surprised you’re not with your brothers.”
From the corner of my eye I saw Mickayla grind pepper over her mashed potatoes, and I heaved a heavy sigh.
Sarah took the hint. “I want you to come back. I overreacted. I see that now.”
That was the last thing I expected her to say. “You want to know what I see now? That I spent months living with a biker bigot, and I’m done.”
Mickayla sneezed while I had been speaking. From the heavy silence on Sarah’s end, she must have heard her.
“Who are you with for dinner tonight? It isn’t your mom. I called her earlier.”
My simmering anger rose to a full boil. “How the fuck did you get her number? Don’t answer that. We’re done.”
“So you were cheating on me?”
“Not your business who I’m with, but kicking me out ended things, which means I never cheated. Get that shit straight in your head right now. And lose my number because I’m blocking you.”
I stabbed my finger at the red icon to end the call, blocked her number, set the phone down, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
The moment I opened my eyes again, Mick said, “I’m sorry I sneezed. I swear I didn’t mean to.”
